The relationship between COVID-19, anxiety, and social support among Icelandic university students

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety levels among Icelandic students. In addition, it aimed to explore the potential influencing role of social support in these effects. The data utilized in the current study was collected cross-sectionally from ongoing research, where data was collected through questionnaires in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The total sample consisted of 1504 Icelandic students from Reykjavik University who answered background questions, questions about anxiety, measured with the GAD-7 scale, and measures of social support. The results demonstrated significantly higher anxiety levels among female students compared to male students throughout all four years. Moreover, greater social support was associated with lower anxiety scores. However, the pandemic had no effect on social support. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of the pandemic on students’ mental well-being and investigate the effectiveness of coping strategies and interventions aimed at increasing social support from family and friends. Keywords: COVID-19, university students, anxiety, social support

Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar var að kanna áhrif COVID-19 heimsfaraldursins á kvíða meðal íslenskra háskólanema. Auk þess var markmiðið að skoða möguleg áhrif félagslegs stuðnings á kvíða nemanna. Fyrirliggjandi gögn voru nýtt í rannsókninni þar sem gagna var aflað með þversniði í gegnum spurningalista árin 2021, 2022, 2023 og 2024. Heildarúrtakið samanstóð af 1504 íslenskum háskólanemum við Háskólann í Reykjavík sem svöruðu bakgrunnsspurningum, spurningum um kvíða, mældum með GAD-7 kvarðanum, og spurningum um félagslegan stuðning. Niðurstöður sýndu fram á marktækt hærri kvíðastig meðal kvenkyns háskólanema, í samanburði við karlkyns nema yfir öll fjögur árin. Auk þess kom í ljós að meiri félagslegur stuðningur tengdist lægri kvíðastigum. Hins vegar hafði heimsfaraldurinn engin áhrif á félagslegan stuðning. Frekari rannsóknir eru nauðsynlegar til þess að kanna langtímaáhrif heimsfaraldursins á andlega vellíðan nemenda og meta áhrif bjargráða og íhlutana sem miða að því að efla félagslegan stuðning frá fjölskyldu og vinum. Lykilorð: COVID-19, háskólanemar, kvíði, félagslegur stuðningur