AUTHOR=Sava Ionel N. 

TITLE=Social value of pathology: adapting primary health care to reduce stress and social anxiety in college students exposed to social distancing

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1143221

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1143221

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=This article surveyed college students’ well-being and emotional health during online education. It considered the social value of stress and anxiety pathology as ‘normal’ side-effects throughout COVID-19 lock down. Factors appropriate to educational technology were selected and submitted to a sample of 114 college students’ evaluation in a semi-structured questionnaire. This research found that educational content and delivery methods as well increased homework and time spent online have potentially risen individual pathology of stress, depression and social anxiety disorder for up to one third of students exposed to digital learning. Results also prove that young people were one of the most vulnerable social groups to stress and social anxiety disorders during lockdown. Applications to make delivery routines more suitable for students, adapting educational content, multiply Internet outlets, proportionate homework and adjusted time to fit subjects’ capacity are suggested in order to make online education more enjoyable and useful. Voluntary routine mental health assessment of students, teachers and staff as well as customized online counselling for vulnerable subjects are recommended as primary health care measures during online education.
Keywords: healthcare, college students, online education, stress and anxiety, pathology