Somatic and psychological distress among Russian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Alena Zolotareva1,2, Svetlana Belousova3, Irina Danilova4,5
1School of Psychology, 68192HSE University, Moscow, Russia.
Objective:
Previous studies highlighted a high prevalence of mental health issues among students during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is no evidence from Russia. This study was aimed to examine the prevalence of somatic and psychological distress among Russian university students.
Method:
The cross-sectional study was conducted in March-April 2021. The participants were university students from several regions of Russia (N = 1236). The Patient Health Questionnaire-15 and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 were used to measure the somatic and psychological distress.
Results:
The prevalence of somatic burden, depression, anxiety, and stress was 72.2%, 54.7%, 63.4%, and 55.4%, respectively. Somatic burden, anxiety, and stress were more frequently observed in females and students with experience of COVID-19 disease compared to males and students without experience of COVID-19 disease.
Conclusions:
These data illuminate the high prevalence and potential risk factors for somatic and psychological distress among Russian university students and determine the importance of psychoeducation and preventive measures in the Russian university environment.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological Responses to Stress
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
General State of Stress
Specifically, consider a tetrahedral element where one face, labeled XYZ, is perpendicular to the line OA, and the remaining faces align with the coordinate axes with point O as the origin. At any point, such as point O, the stress tensor can be used to determine the stress...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques V
Types of Stressors
Catastrophes
Catastrophes refer to large-scale, unpredictable events that create overwhelming stress and a sense of threat. Examples include natural disasters like...


