The effects of cumulative stressful educational events on the mental health of doctoral students during the COVID-19 pandemic
2021
High rates of psychological distress including anxiety and depression are common in
the doctoral community. With the COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on mental health
it is necessary to explore the riskand protective factors for this population. Using
data from the Covid-19: Global Study of Social Trust and Mental Health, the present
study examined the relationship between COVID-19-related cumulativestressful educational
experiences and doctoral students’mental health problems. Moreover, it assessed therole
of attentional ability and coping skills in promoting good mental health.Mental health
problems were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the 7-itemGeneralized
Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire to measure depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively.We
measured coping skills using a 14-item questionnaire and attentional ability using
a 7-itemquestionnaire.
The results of multiple linear regression analyses showed that cumulative stressful
educational experiencewere related to increased depression symptoms but not anxiety
symptoms in fully adjusted models.Additionally, coping skills and attentional ability
were related to both depression and anxiety symptoms.Finally, no associations between
mental health problems and demographic factors or other covariates werefound.
The experience of multiple educational stressful events due to COVID-19 is a key risk
factor for increasedmental illness in the doctoral community. This could be explained
by the uncertainty that the COVID-19pandemic has caused to the students.
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