The Impact of Covid-19 Related Stress on Mental Health, Body Image and Disordered Eating Levels Among Third-Level Education Students; Gender Differences

Buckley, Lauren (2022) The Impact of Covid-19 Related Stress on Mental Health, Body Image and Disordered Eating Levels Among Third-Level Education Students; Gender Differences. Undergraduate thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Aims: The current study examined the impact of Covid-19 related stress on depression, anxiety, disordered eating and body image, as the current literature demonstrates that Covid-19 and its related stressors are having detrimental effects on individuals, specifically among third-level education students. The study sought to provide a deeper understanding of the consequences of the pandemic on third-level students’ psychological outcomes within an Irish context, while also examining gender differences in Covid-19 related stress levels and body image.

Method: 151 participants took part, the survey was comprised of demographical questions, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS), the Body Image States Scale (BISS) and a modified version of the Covid-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ).

Results: Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that Covid-19 related stress significantly predicted depression, anxiety, body image and disordered eating levels. Significant gender differences were found, where females exhibited higher Covid-19 related stress levels and poorer body image outcomes.

Conclusion: The findings showcase that Covid-19 related stress is still functioning as a contributor to aversive psychological outcomes, even as Ireland is returning to normality. Implications of the findings and future research directions are further discussed.

Item Type:	Thesis (Undergraduate)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman > Gender R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA790 Mental Health B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology > Stress (Psychology)
Divisions:	School of Business > BA (Honours) in Psychology
Depositing User:	Clara Chan
Date Deposited:	27 Jun 2022 16:20
Last Modified:	27 Jun 2022 16:40
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/5617

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