The Relationship between Mental Health, Educational Burnout and Strategies for Coping with Stress among Students: A Cross-Sectional Study of Poland

This study sought to investigate the risk factors of poor psychosomatic health among students during the quarantine of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was conducted on-line, on a sample of 1978 respondents in Poland. The study was carried out towards the end of the summer 2020 semester. The questionnaire used in the study was designed so that it allows for the observation of the main risk factors which have an impact on the students’ mental health. Variance analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were used to determine the predictors of mental health problems. The results indicate that average and high levels of psychosomatic disorders were observed among 61% of respondents. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that an increase in the level of educational burnout, a decreased life satisfaction, and use of negative strategies of coping with stress, were accompanied by a deteriorated mental condition of students. Moreover, it was observed that female respondents scored higher on the scale of disorders in comparison to males.