Psychiatric outcomes and overall functioning in healthcare students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: There is evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted students on health care courses, including evidence of associations between anxiety or depression and inadequate coping mechanisms or unhealthy habits. However, little is known about possible predictors of mental health or psychiatric symptoms in Brazilian health care students during this period. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate possible factors associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, used to measure psychiatric outcomes, and quality of life, used as a parameter of overall functionality, in Brazilian students on health care courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with Brazilian students on health care courses from May to December 2020. Participants were recruited through social media and answered a 71-item open online questionnaire exploring demographic characteristics and personal behavior during the pandemic, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. We searched for variables potentially associated with psychiatric symptoms and mental health in these individuals using Poisson regression models. RESULTS: Multivariate models showed depression and anxiety were associated with poor quality of life and medication abuse was associated with greater anxiety and poor quality of life. Psychotherapy was an effective coping strategy for anxiety and meditation or mindfulness practice and physical activity improved the students’ quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Our study presents important information about the factors associated with psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies for coping with them that should be helpful to reflect on and for designing appropriate interventions.