Changes in Rates of Special Considerations in Higher Education Applications Pre- and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Victoria, Australia.
COVID‐19
higher education
mental health
public health
young people
Journal
Early intervention in psychiatry
ISSN: 1751-7893
Titre abrégé: Early Interv Psychiatry
Pays: Australia
ID NLM: 101320027
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
14 Aug 2024
14 Aug 2024
Historique:
revised:
18
07
2024
received:
01
02
2024
accepted:
25
07
2024
medline:
14
8
2024
pubmed:
14
8
2024
entrez:
14
8
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant rise in mental ill health has been observed globally in young people, particularly those in their final years of secondary school. Students' negative experiences coincide with a critical transitional period which can disrupt milestones in social and educational development. This study aimed to use innovative population-level data to map the impact of the pandemic on students entering higher education. Pre-pandemic (2019/2020) and pandemic (2020/2021) tertiary education application data were obtained from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre. Prevalence of applications for special consideration related to mental ill health were compared between cohorts across various geographical areas and applicant demographic subgroups. Relative risk regression models were used to understand the role of different risk factors. Rates of mental health-related special consideration applications increased by 38% among all applications (pre-pandemic: 7.8%, n = 56 916; pandemic: 10.8%, n = 58 260). Highest increases were observed among students in areas with both extended and close-quarter lockdown experiences, and areas impacted by 2019/2020 black summer bushfires. The increases were higher among Year 12 students and students with other special consideration needs (e.g., physical condition, learning disability). Slightly higher increases were observed in areas with higher socio-economic status, which may potentially be related to inequality in mental health service access. As consequences of mental health difficulties and academic disruption in youth can be long lasting, it is critical to establish a mental health support framework both in and outside of higher education to facilitate young people's recovery from the pandemic.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
OBJECTIVE
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant rise in mental ill health has been observed globally in young people, particularly those in their final years of secondary school. Students' negative experiences coincide with a critical transitional period which can disrupt milestones in social and educational development. This study aimed to use innovative population-level data to map the impact of the pandemic on students entering higher education.
METHODS
METHODS
Pre-pandemic (2019/2020) and pandemic (2020/2021) tertiary education application data were obtained from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre. Prevalence of applications for special consideration related to mental ill health were compared between cohorts across various geographical areas and applicant demographic subgroups. Relative risk regression models were used to understand the role of different risk factors.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Rates of mental health-related special consideration applications increased by 38% among all applications (pre-pandemic: 7.8%, n = 56 916; pandemic: 10.8%, n = 58 260). Highest increases were observed among students in areas with both extended and close-quarter lockdown experiences, and areas impacted by 2019/2020 black summer bushfires. The increases were higher among Year 12 students and students with other special consideration needs (e.g., physical condition, learning disability). Slightly higher increases were observed in areas with higher socio-economic status, which may potentially be related to inequality in mental health service access.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
As consequences of mental health difficulties and academic disruption in youth can be long lasting, it is critical to establish a mental health support framework both in and outside of higher education to facilitate young people's recovery from the pandemic.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Subventions
Organisme : TAL
Informations de copyright
© 2024 The Author(s). Early Intervention in Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Références
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2021. “Data by Region.” https://dbr.abs.gov.au/.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2022. “National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020–21.”
Bell, I. H., J. Nicholas, A. Broomhall, et al. 2023. “The Impact of COVID‐19 on Youth Mental Health: A Mixed Methods Survey.” Psychiatry Research 321: 115082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115082.
Bortes, C., S. Ragnarsson, M. Strandh, and S. Petersen. 2021. “The Bidirectional Relationship Between Subjective Well‐Being and Academic Achievement in Adolescence.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 50, no. 5: 992–1002. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964‐021‐01413‐3.
Bourque, F., and A. C. Willox. 2014. “Climate Change: The Next Challenge for Public Mental Health?” International Review of Psychiatry 26, no. 4: 415–422. https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2014.925851.
Bowman, S., C. McKinstry, and P. McGorry. 2017. “Youth Mental Ill Health and Secondary School Completion in Australia: Time to Act.” Early Intervention in Psychiatry 11, no. 4: 277–289. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.12357.
Brown, J. K., and L. M. Papp. 2023. “COVID‐19 Pandemic Effects on Trajectories of College Students' Stress, Coping, and Sleep Quality: A Four‐Year Longitudinal Analysis.” Stress and Health 40, no. 2: e3320. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3320.
Cardak, B., M. Bowden, and J. Bahtsevanoglou. 2015. Are Low SES Students Disadvantaged in the University Application Process? Curtin University, Perth: National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE).
Chang, J. J., Y. Ji, Y. H. Li, H. F. Pan, and P. Y. Su. 2021. “Prevalence of Anxiety Symptom and Depressive Symptom Among College Students During COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Meta‐Analysis.” Journal of Affective Disorders 292: 242–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.109.
Ellis, W. E., and L. Zarbatany. 2017. “Understanding Processes of Peer Clique Influence in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence.” Child Development Perspectives 11, no. 4: 227–232. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12248.
Enticott, J. C., G. N. Meadows, F. Shawyer, B. Inder, and S. Patten. 2016. “Mental Disorders and Distress: Associations With Demographics, Remoteness and Socioeconomic Deprivation of Area of Residence Across Australia.” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 50, no. 12: 1169–1179. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867415615948.
Fergusson, D. M., J. M. Boden, and L. J. Horwood. 2007. “Recurrence of Major Depression in Adolescence and Early Adulthood, and Later Mental Health, Educational and Economic Outcomes.” British Journal of Psychiatry 191: 335–342. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.107.036079.
Fisher, J. R., T. D. Tran, K. Hammarberg, et al. 2020. “Mental Health of People in Australia in the First Month of COVID‐19 Restrictions: A National Survey.” Medical Journal of Australia 213, no. 10: 458–464. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50831.
Fox, H., S. M. Topp, D. Lindsay, and E. Callander. 2021. “Ethnic, Socio‐Economic and Geographic Inequities in Maternal Health Service Coverage in Australia.” International Journal of Health Planning and Management 36, no. 6: 2182–2198. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3277.
Fruehwirth, J. C., S. Biswas, and K. M. Perreira. 2021. “The Covid‐19 Pandemic and Mental Health of First‐Year College Students: Examining the Effect of Covid‐19 Stressors Using Longitudinal Data.” PLoS One 16, no. 3: e0247999. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247999.
Gao, C. X., L. P. McDonald, M. P. Hamilton, et al. 2023. “Inequalities in Access to Mental Health Treatment by Australian Youths During the COVID‐19 Pandemic.” Psychiatric Services 74, no. 6: 581–588. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20220345.
Hossain, M. M., S. Tasnim, A. Sultana, et al. 2020. “Epidemiology of Mental Health Problems in COVID‐19: A Review.” F1000Research 9: 636. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.24457.1.
Jones, B., S. Woolfenden, S. Pengilly, et al. 2020. “COVID‐19 Pandemic: The Impact on Vulnerable Children and Young People in Australia.” Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 56, no. 12: 1851–1855. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.15169.
Jones, E. A. K., A. K. Mitra, and A. R. Bhuiyan. 2021. “Impact of COVID‐19 on Mental Health in Adolescents: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 5: 2470. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052470.
Kauhanen, L., W. M. A. Wan Mohd Yunus, L. Lempinen, et al. 2023. “A Systematic Review of the Mental Health Changes of Children and Young People Before and During the COVID‐19 Pandemic.” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 32, no. 6: 995–1013. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787‐022‐02060‐0.
Kessler, R. C., P. Berglund, O. Demler, R. Jin, K. R. Merikangas, and E. E. Walters. 2005. “Lifetime Prevalence and Age‐of‐Onset Distributions of DSM‐IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication.” Archives of General Psychiatry 62, no. 6: 593–602. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593.
Kohls, E., L. Guenthner, S. Baldofski, T. Brock, J. Schuhr, and C. Rummel‐Kluge. 2023. “Two Years COVID‐19 Pandemic: Development of University Students' Mental Health 2020–2022.” Frontiers in Psychiatry 14: 1122256. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1122256.
Li, S. H., J. R. Beames, J. M. Newby, K. Maston, H. Christensen, and A. Werner‐Seidler. 2022. “The Impact of COVID‐19 on the Lives and Mental Health of Australian Adolescents.” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 31, no. 9: 1465–1477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787‐021‐01790‐x.
Magson, N. R., J. Y. A. Freeman, R. M. Rapee, C. E. Richardson, E. L. Oar, and J. Fardouly. 2021. “Risk and Protective Factors for Prospective Changes in Adolescent Mental Health During the COVID‐19 Pandemic.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 50, no. 1: 44–57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964‐020‐01332‐9.
McGorry, P. D., and C. Mei. 2018. “Early Intervention in Youth Mental Health: Progress and Future Directions.” Evidence‐Based Mental Health 21, no. 4: 182–184. https://doi.org/10.1136/ebmental‐2018‐300060.
Mission Australia. 2022. “Youth Survey 2022 State Sub‐Report VIC.” https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/publications/youth‐survey/state‐reports‐2022/2617‐youth‐survey‐2022‐state‐sub‐report‐vic.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. 2021. “Supporting Young People's Mental Health Through the COVID‐19 Crisis.” https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy‐responses/supporting‐young‐people‐s‐mental‐health‐through‐the‐covid‐19‐crisis‐84e143e5/.
Owens, M., E. Townsend, E. Hall, T. Bhatia, R. Fitzgibbon, and F. Miller‐Lakin. 2022. “Mental Health and Wellbeing in Young People in the UK During Lockdown (COVID‐19).” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 3: 1132. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031132.
Putwain, D. W., and C. M. Roberts. 2009. “The Development of an Instrument to Measure Teachers' Use of Fear Appeals in the GCSE Classroom.” British Journal of Educational Psychology 79, no. Pt 4: 643–661. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709909X426130.
Riboldi, I., C. A. Capogrosso, S. Piacenti, et al. 2023. “Mental Health and COVID‐19 in University Students: Findings From a Qualitative, Comparative Study in Italy and the UK.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 5: 4071. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054071.
Richardson, M., C. Abraham, and R. Bond. 2012. “Psychological Correlates of University Students' Academic Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis.” Psychological Bulletin 138, no. 2: 353–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026838.
Santomauro, D. F., A. M. M. Herrera, J. Shadid, et al. 2021. “Global Prevalence and Burden of Depressive and Anxiety Disorders in 204 Countries and Territories in 2020 due to the COVID‐19 Pandemic.” Lancet 398, no. 10312: 1700–1712. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140‐6736(21)02143‐7.
Suldo, S. M., M. J. Gormley, G. J. DuPaul, and D. Anderson‐Butcher. 2014. “The Impact of School Mental Health on Student and School‐Level Academic Outcomes: Current Status of the Research and Future Directions.” School Mental Health 6, no. 2: 84–98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310‐013‐9116‐2.
Wuthrich, V. M., J. Belcher, C. Kilby, T. Jagiello, and C. Lowe. 2021. “Tracking Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Across the Final Year of Secondary School: A Longitudinal Study.” Journal of School Psychology 88: 18–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2021.07.004.
Wuthrich, V. M., T. Jagiello, and V. Azzi. 2020. “Academic Stress in the Final Years of School: A Systematic Literature Review.” Child Psychiatry and Human Development 51, no. 6: 986–1015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578‐020‐00981‐y.