Understanding Mental Wellbeing amongst Potentially Vulnerable Higher Education Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education students were reported as one of the most affected in terms of wellbeing. In the current study, we explored higher education students’ self-perceptions on why and how their mental wellbeing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its related measures. Focus group discussions with potentially vulnerable university student groups, as well as university staff, revealed that the students described the pandemic as a period of reduced mental wellbeing. Overall, students identified two main reasons for this: the lingering aspect of the pandemic and restricted social contact and support. Moreover, we identified several underlying factors of specific student groups’ vulnerability in terms of wellbeing: entering the university during the COVID-19 pandemic and students’ living situation, employment status, financial stress, and home environment. Moreover, as a potential mitigating factor, the availability of university facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as beneficial for students’ mental wellbeing. Our results indicate the importance of universities acting as social spaces that facilitate connection and peer support and, thus, working preventively towards the improved mental wellbeing of students. Furthermore, university support in providing facilities to increase inclusivity should be organized or improved.

1. Introduction

Students in higher education have been identified as a risk group for psychosocial problems (Auerbach et al. 2016; Sharp and Theiler 2018). Mental disorders are common in this population and are typically untreated (Auerbach et al. 2016). Mental wellbeing has been related to important student outcomes; students who struggle with their mental wellbeing are more likely to leave higher education without a degree (Hartley 2010; Kessler et al. 1995). The risk for developing mental health problems was elevated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with higher education students being reported as one of the most affected in terms of wellbeing (Li et al. 2021). An alarming increase in suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety was found among higher education students (Cao et al. 2020; Kaparounaki et al. 2020; Odriozola-González et al. 2020). Students were not only confronted with the COVID-19 protective measures implemented by the government, but also those implemented by their respective higher education institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic quickly led to a complete reorganization of higher education in Belgium, where this study was conducted; in-person lectures were transformed into online classes or blended learning, internships were partially cancelled, thesis planning was adjusted, examination and evaluation forms were changed, and mouth masks had to be worn during on-campus lectures which limited bonding between students and/or between teachers and students and so on (Spitzer 2020; Vlaams Ministerie van Onderwijs en Vorming 2020). Moreover, many social activities came to a standstill. Most student activities were cancelled, and many students moved back to their parental homes. The pandemic also had economic consequences for many students and their families; the stagnation of the economy also meant that the majority of student jobs were terminated immediately, with potentially severe consequences for students who relied on this income to finance their studies and/or student residences. On top of this, the COVID-19 protective measures implemented by the government and higher education institutions did not come into effect immediately. There was a gradual build-up that may have increased the uncertainty among students.

The Belgian sample from the International Student Well-Being Study (ISWS) (Van de Velde et al. 2021a) revealed that more than 40 percent of students reported feeling lonely from time to time, and one-third reported feeling lonely most of the time during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (April–May 2020). While similar proportions of feelings of loneliness were found one year after the start of the pandemic (May 2021), the estimated proportion of students with depressive feelings increased from 35% to 45%.

Certain student populations were found to be more at risk for lower levels of mental wellbeing, such as first-year students, students with a migrant background, those with a vulnerable socioeconomic status, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions and/or learning difficulties (De Bruyn and Van Eekert 2023; De Man et al. 2021; Van de Velde et al. 2021b). Moreover, women reported lower levels of mental wellbeing than men (Hoyt et al. 2021).

Research into the causes of students’ distress indicated, on the one hand, primary COVID-related stressors, including anxiety and worry related to the virus, and, on the other hand, secondary stressors, i.e., stressors related to the virus-control measures (Elmer et al. 2020; Farris et al. 2021; Gogoi et al. 2022; Hoyt et al. 2021; Kaur et al. 2022; Knight et al. 2021; Riboldi et al. 2023). The latter includes, among others, feelings of social isolation and loneliness, worries about society as a whole, as well as about their own mental health, uncertainty regarding the future, financial strain and stress, and academic concerns due to the shift to online education. Moreover, excessive time online and unhealthy management of time and space, health behavior, and routines were challenging for students’ wellbeing. Students also reported missing out on professional and social experiences. Specifically with regard to international students, additional stressors were identified, including limited possibilities for travelling, social interactions, and integration in the residing country (Al-Oraibi et al. 2022; Elmer et al. 2020; Koo and Nyunt 2023; Pedersen et al. 2021; Zhang et al. 2022). International students also indicated missed experiences and limited opportunities to advance studies and careers.

Despite this additional focus on international students, the main body of research aimed to understand the COVID-19 stressors in the general student population, rather than taking into account in-depth experiences of specific subgroups. With the current study, we intend to build upon these findings by qualitatively exploring the research question “what are higher education students’ self-perceptions on why and how their mental wellbeing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its related measures”. We add to the current literature in two ways: (1) We performed in-depth qualitative research focusing on potentially vulnerable student groups, referring to students whose mental wellbeing was most at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. By specifically tapping into these students’ stories, we were able to explore a broad range of potential risk factors of low mental wellbeing, which might go unnoticed and/or be less nuanced when only focusing on the ‘general’ or the more privileged student population. And (2) we studied mental wellbeing over a longer period. Students were interviewed in the spring of 2021, i.e., approximately a year after the COVID-19 outbreak. By looking back over a longer period, using in-depth qualitative methods, we acknowledged and explored the long-term impact of the pandemic on students’ mental wellbeing, complementing other studies which examined stressors relatively early and/or at one specific time in the pandemic (Elmer et al. 2020; Farris et al. 2021; Hoyt et al. 2021).

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Sampling

The current research is part of a larger research project aiming to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ wellbeing. The larger research project consists of a quantitative part (i.e., the International Student Well-Being Study (ISWS) (Van de Velde et al. 2021a)) and a qualitative part, consisting of focus group discussions with potentially vulnerable subgroups of students in terms of mental wellbeing. The current paper discusses the qualitative part of this research project.

Qualitative data were collected from a Belgian university, the University of Antwerp, located in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium (Flanders). At the time of data collection, around 20,000 students were enrolled at this university, which mainly attracts students from surrounding areas. The enrolment fee for a full-time student in Flanders was EUR 961.90 in the year 2021. The university offers both Bachelor’s and Master’s programs within a wide range of academic disciplines.

Based on an extensive literature review, the results from the ISWS, and through preparatory FGDs with the university’s student-centered staff, six subgroups were identified as particularly vulnerable to lower levels of mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) students with a migrant background, (2) first-year students, (3) students with a vulnerable socioeconomic status, (4) students with learning disabilities and/or functional impairment, (5) international students, and (6) students in a bridging program. Within the involved university described above, students from these targeted subgroups were recruited through purposive sampling. Respondents were recruited through e-mail and the university’s intranet and were rewarded with a gift voucher of EUR 10.

In total, 8 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 48 students were organized with these subgroups; more specifically, one with exclusively students with a migration background (FGD 1, n: 8), one with exclusively first-year students (FGD 2, n: 8), one with exclusively students with a vulnerable socioeconomic status (FGD 3, n: 5), one with exclusively students with learning disabilities and/or functional impairment (FGD 4, n: 7), one with exclusively students in a bridging program (FGD 5, n:9), one with exclusively international students (FGD 6, n: 4), and two including both first-year students and students in a bridging program (FGD 7, n: 4 and FGD 8, n:3). The sample included 35 female and 13 male students between the ages of 18 and 49.

Prior to the FGDs with students, we organized FGDs with 24 staff members of student-focused services at the university (study trajectory counsellors, student psychologists, care coordinators, Cell for Innovation and Quality Assurance in Education staff members, and staff members of the Social Service and the Service for Study Advice and Student Support). We asked them about their perception of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ wellbeing and offered them the opportunity to suggest topics to be discussed with the students. The results discussed within this paper focus primarily on the experiences of students and are supplemented, where relevant, with the perceptions of staff members.

2.2. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)

Due to the pandemic and its related measures, all FGDs were organized using a secure online platform and were digitally recorded after obtaining informed consent from the participants. All FGDs were moderated by the first author of this paper, who was always accompanied by a second interviewer acting as observer. The moderator led the focus groups, the observer took notes and supported the moderator in the interview process. The interviewers had no direct relationship (through teaching or other forms of supervision) with the participants at the time of the FGDs.

All student FGDs were guided through a topic list created based on an extensive literature review and preparatory interviews with university staff. The students were asked about the impact of COVID-19 and its related measures on the academic context and the social context and how these changes affected their mental wellbeing. Moreover, we asked students how they felt about the public image of students that was put forward during the pandemic, including that put forward by the media, the government, and the university.

2.3. Context

The FGDs were organized in April 2021, which was during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. During most of April, outdoor gatherings were restricted to four persons, while indoor gatherings were restricted to one person in addition to household members. These measures were reduced at the end of April, allowing up to ten people at outdoor gatherings. Students who lived together under one roof in traditional student rooms with shared facilities were not considered to be one family. They had to wear a face mask when moving around the house and in common areas. Furthermore, there was a curfew between midnight and five in the morning. Classes were also temporarily closed from 29 March to 2 April. After the Easter break, on 19 April, HEIs opened again, although still only at a 20% physical presence rate compared to before and subject to the wearing of face masks and social distancing. The university we studied allowed lectures on campus with a maximum capacity of 20% and with obligatory face masks. These were mainly classes for undergraduate students, practicals, or seminars.

2.4. Data Analysis

All FGDs were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Using the program NVivo11, the anonymized transcripts of these FGDs were thematically coded and analyzed. Thematic analysis provides us with the opportunity to code and categorize data into themes (Alhojailan 2012; Miles and Huberman 1994); within the current research the most important identified overarching themes were the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ wellbeing and their social life and student life and how students explained their subgroup being identified as more vulnerable in terms of mental wellbeing. Independent analysis of a sample of FGD transcripts was undertaken by the co-authors, and findings were discussed in the team to enhance the trustworthiness of the data and guarantee intercoder reliability. Researcher triangulation and reflexivity increased the credibility of the study.

To ensure respondents’ anonymity, the names of the participants were anonymized by numbering prior to the data analyses. The research project obtained ethical clearance from the University of Antwerp’s Ethics Committee for the Social Sciences and Humanities.

3. Results

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted students’ mental wellbeing in various ways. Several students indicated that they did not have a very difficult time mentally during the pandemic and even experienced it as a pleasant time. This was particularly the case among students who perceived the pandemic as a time of heightened opportunities (e.g., spending more time with their family or adopting a healthier lifestyle). Moreover, for various students, remote learning improved their study results, largely due to the flexibility and the ability to adapt the study schedule to their personal lives. For others, the increased flexibility also had a stress-reducing effect. Other students also indicated that they were more relaxed due to the absence of interaction.

“I felt much more comfortable taking courses online because I was no longer physically surrounded by my classmates. In the past, it could be very intimidating for me when I saw that I was the only one that did not understand. Then I felt extremely stupid and extremely slow and now that I did not see them anymore I could really take my class at my own pace. That was really a blessing for me”.

(Respondent 17, FGD 3)

However, it is important to note that benefits in flexibility and improved study results were not necessarily associated with improved mental wellbeing in the long term.

“I have good grades and I am happy about that, but on the other hand my life is… I constantly feel guilty when a class comes up online and I don’t… While before, you were on your way to class and then you saw friends at the bar and then you still stayed… then you said ‘never mind I’m not going to class’. […] So it has had a really positive effect on me, better grades, but I would really rather want it like back then, even though it might take me an extra few years to do that”.

(Respondent 1, FGD 1)

Overall, it is striking that students described the pandemic as a period that had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing. Two major topics arose when students described what made the pandemic difficult: (1) the lingering aspect of the pandemic—referring to the pandemic and its related measures lasting for a long time without a known end point—and (2) restrictions in the opportunities for social contact.

3.1. The Lingering Aspect of the Pandemic

The lingering aspect of the pandemic was described as mentally tough: “the longer it goes on, the harder it becomes” (Respondent 1, FGD 1). The monotony of this lingering situation made it difficult for them as it lacked a rest period, and they needed a “break from corona”.

Moreover, this lingering feeling was enforced by a lack of attention given both by the government and by the university, the unknown length of the pandemic, the constant changes in safety measures, and not knowing what the future would bring.

“Yes, I think they [the government] really did not handle it well. They were tightening and loosening all the time and then you were allowed to do that again and not do that again. It makes no sense at all. From a scientific point of view sometimes it just doesn’t make sense”.

(Respondent 34, FGD 5)

Students indicated that their daily routine (e.g., waking up to go to the university and studying until sports practice) disappeared because social and extracurricular activities were reduced, as well as the daily routine that onsite classes used to provide. At the same time, students indicated that the loss of this structure often went hand in hand with the loss of concentration and motivation, making coursework less efficient and feel like more of a drag1.

“I felt like if I went to class and I still had other things to do, with the lockdown that is now and I saw friends and I only had a few hours a day to learn for school, that I was much more efficient with my time for learning for school. And that I then also picked something up […], learned something faster than I do now because now I have so much stretched-out time for watching lectures and for three or four hours watching lectures and then I notice that my concentration is not as it should be”.

(Respondent 32, FGD 5)

For students, the lingering feeling of the pandemic translated into the feeling of being in a miserably long study period, the feeling of constantly studying “and that’s it” (Respondent 33, FGD 5). ‘Being a student’ seemed to be limited to ‘studying’ during the pandemic. Students felt a certain pressure to be constantly engaged in their studies as there was ‘nothing else to do’. This feeling was enhanced when online study materials were visible online for the whole semester, something that was not the case prior to the pandemic. This made the distinction between studying and relaxing more difficult.

“For me the problem is also mainly the boundary between work and leisure. […] All the material for the whole semester is online, […], I’m working on it, but I can’t decide when to stop? Or when do I take a break or something, so that’s kind of my problem actually, that I just want to do too much”.

(Respondent 36, FGD 5)

3.2. Restricted Social Contact and Support

Students cited the restrictions on social contact as the most profound and difficult change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social contact was no longer unlimited, free, spontaneous, or carefree during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially due to governmental containment measures and the fear of being infected or infecting others with the virus. As a result, students expressed the need for more social interaction and reported feeling isolated.

“Like I had the struggle, psychological problems. And then the struggle is like almost getting a depression because you can’t talk to people. […] So, it has not been easy. It’s like I’m just locked up in a four-wall room and in my own space trying to make sense of it”.

(Respondent 39, FGD 6)

Reducing social interactions to the inner circle implied that fewer people were seen face to face, and less strong ties were often diluted further.

“I’m much more reduced to the core, really those friends where, if you have to choose, you choose one group that you always see to limit your contact as much as possible as well”.

(Respondent 2, FGD 1)

Students also indicated a certain reluctance towards online social activities, as they had already had enough of online social contact, found these tiring, and wanted to reduce their screen time. Online contact did not fulfil their need for face-to-face social interactions.

“In the beginning of the pandemic, because then everyone was very creative in it, Like, oh, come on, let’s all create a Zoom session and we’ll do it like this. But I have the impression that people have become a bit fed up with this, which I also understand. Because it’s very tiring to be in it for so long, especially if you have a lot of people. So on the one hand I think it’s a pity that we don’t do that anymore, on the other hand I understand it myself, because I’m also a little tired of it. So I also hope that it will soon be possible to do it physically, because that is much more pleasant”.

(Respondent 45, FGD 7)

Moreover, blended learning restricted students’ access to university campuses. Students indicated that, even during restricted attendance at the campuses, it was difficult to make contact with fellow students given the obligatory social distancing and wearing of face masks. Moreover, there was little occasion for spontaneous encounters with fellow students as students were encouraged to leave campuses immediately after curricular events. Also, hardly any physical extracurricular events were organized for students, and even students who resided in student housing had a lot of restrictions in terms of social contact with housemates. As a result, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the university campus did not act as a social meeting point.

“Especially in class, it was difficult to get in touch with others, because those masks, that gives a difference, also a distance. There was no talking during the breaks, because there was always one and a half meters between them, or even more. So getting to know new people was very difficult”.

(Respondent 47, FGD 8)

The combination of the shift towards blended learning and measures taken to limit social contact on university campuses led to a strong reduction in social interactions with fellow students. It is noteworthy that, during the pandemic, contact with fellow students was especially strongly reduced. The close circle to which social life was limited during the pandemic often appeared to be outside the university network.

“We always went to school with the same group, always with the same people, suddenly all those people fell away, and it was a bit strange. Because you’ve always been in school context, then when you don’t have school anymore, it’s like ‘do I still have to text you now, do we have this bond of friendship, is that at a level that we’re going to text each other for something that’s not about school or something?”.

(Respondent 19, FGD 3)

The limitations in terms of social contact with fellow students consequently strongly reduced peer support amongst students. Students indicated that they missed the support of their peers. The lack of peer support included a lack of practical support regarding the organization of studies, as well as with respect to processing the subject matter itself. Students had less opportunity to discuss how to coordinate study plans and methods with each other.

Moreover, peer support is also about feeling connected to other students and the feeling of ‘being in it together’. Students indicated the lack of being motivated by (the physical presence of) fellow students and the feeling of being alone.

“If you are sitting next to each other or in the lecture theatre and a professor is rattling on, you think, what is he saying? What is he doing? And then you can hear that real murmur quietly and then look at each other and share those frustrations, you just feel less stupid. But now it’s still there, but you don’t know that about each other and I miss that. That you can share frustrations or dissatisfaction or recognize it in each other”

(Respondent 37, FGD 5).

The combination of limited social contact with fellow students and the lingering feeling of being constantly engaged in studies is captured very well by the following statement from a respondent: “I really just feel like someone who sits in a box and has to study” (Respondent 46, FGD 8).

3.3. Students Felt Forgotten and Negatively Represented

An unexpected finding that emerged was that students felt as though they were forgotten; “We were the first ones to go into lockdown and we have always been the ones exactly where that they just expect, we’ll manage and just do it” (Respondent 46, FGD 8). Students had this feeling towards broader society in general, but especially the government, which led to anger and frustration among students. Students understood that they were not a priority group and often acknowledged the privileges they had, but they felt it was unjust that they received so little attention. Students felt that they were not being paid attention, that they were not being taken seriously, and that only symptom control was being carried out.

Students recounted how they themselves asked for more attention. For example, students developed a hashtag with the goal of getting the attention of the Minister of Education. Students also believed that it was partly because of students’ written open letters that more attention was eventually given to them.

“Yes, I found certainly in the beginning, we were really just forgotten. There were then a thousand calls- After a time, even on Twitter the minister of education’ s name had become a hashtag too, in order to get a reaction anyway. But there was really just nothing. And I think that was four months long, that nothing was said about us. That I just had the feeling, you talk about education, but we are also there, we are also people who follow education. Why is nothing being said about us? And I did find that really totally not okay, that literally no word came out about us. Even then you were going to say something bad, at least say something instead of pretending that we didn’t exist”.

(Respondent 46, FGD 8)

Moreover, students indicated that, when attention for their situation increased, the portrayal of students in the media during COVID-19 times was neither accurate nor representative, and the focus was often on study performance rather than mental wellbeing.

“If you look at the media, it is precisely the student who does not comply with the measures who is always portrayed. And there are so many who do follow all the measures and are actually doing just fine. And then they always single out those who don’t. I find that a bit annoying. Then I think, let’s see students who do follow the rules and do their best”.

(Respondent 11, FGD 2)

Moreover, students indicated that others who were given a platform in the media were often privileged students from white, middle-class families, and that, as a result, there was less recognition of the stories of less privileged students and, therefore, a risk that those students who were ‘really’ struggling did not receive enough attention.

“I think partly that outcry was necessary, because I didn’t identify with those students at all, because they were also […] people from the upper middle class and so on and they talked about I can’t party and this and that, while I was like, no, I’d rather be able to go to the library and study with my friends. Because at home that didn’t work at all and I had a very difficult exam period”.

(Respondent 8, FGD 1)

3.4. Underlying Factors Explaining Vulnerability

Whereas the previous part described the overarching findings across all vulnerable groups, the current section focuses on the underlying factors that made certain groups especially vulnerable to experiencing lower levels of mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

3.4.1. Entering Higher Education during COVID: Limited Social Contact as a Major Challenge

New students entering the university indicated that they did not know any, or very few, fellow students at the university. The lack of social contact and its negative impact on mental wellbeing particularly affected the students who entered the university during the pandemic: first-year students, transition students, and international students. Students who had been studying at the university for a while could rely on their existing network, whereas that was not an option for these new students.

“So I didn’t know anyone at all at the university […] The first few weeks I was more worried about not knowing anyone than about my classes”.

(Respondent 32, FGD 5)

Compared to students who had already been attending the university prior to the pandemic, newly enrolled students had all kinds of expectations about student life, often related to social interactions. As a result of the pandemic, however, these students could not experience a large part of the anticipated student life; they got to know fewer fellow students than expected, spent little time on campus, could not go out, and were limited in experiencing extracurricular student life and so on. The expectation that being a student would be ‘the time of your life’ was then not yet fulfilled for these new students.

“I remember when I was in high school, the adults and former students or so said to me ‘studying it is the best period of your life’. And at the moment I don’t think so, I found secondary school much nicer than studying. But that’s largely because the social aspect is completely absent”.

(Respondent 44, FGD 7)

For international students in particular, the pandemic and lockdown created a feeling of isolation in several cases; ‘Where we live, we live as a community […] You can’t live in isolation. So, it’s been tough for me to adjust to this new way of living’ (Respondent 41, FGD 6). In addition, they could not make intercultural contacts, which were perceived as vital for studying abroad, and were unable to travel to other European countries, which was an additional disappointment within their international university exchange program.

Although several students still felt like students because they were performing the activity of studying (i.e., taking classes and processing study material), for other students, this was not enough to feel like a student. For the latter, the social aspect, going to campus and interacting with fellow students, was seen as an essential part of being a student.

In addition, the lack of social interactions also meant a lack of social support. These students were required to be very independent, which is an issue anyway when moving into higher education, but this was magnified by times of blended education and reduced peer support when settling into the university context and developing new study methods.

3.4.2. Vulnerable Social Position

‘Everything happens in the same place now’, ‘Literally everything happens at home’, students stated. Therefore, what that home situation was like, and where students lived, had a significant impact on student functioning and mental wellbeing during the pandemic even more than before. Students involved in our research indicated that they had the opportunity and the necessary facilities to take classes from home, stating that this was a privilege and that it facilitated their studies. Students identified both their living situation and having a job as important factors for their mental wellbeing during the pandemic.

Students who lived alone reported feeling more lonely during the pandemic. Students residing in student housing told different stories. A student went to her dorm to be able to study better but found it difficult to be there as, at that time, contact with other students was not allowed. Another student said that social contact was the reason he was glad to be in student housing. Yet another student said that the pandemic had lasted too long, which made it difficult to be with the same people all the time.

Moreover, not only the physical living arrangements but also the extent of social support students received from household members played a role. When household members, such as parents and siblings, were considerate and caring, this gave students the mental space necessary to study, promoting their academic performance and mental wellbeing.

“I live alone with my mum, so I definitely have the support that I don’t really have to do the housekeeping, food is ready and that’s kind of how I plan my day. If I had to cook by myself as well, I would probably starve. […] I work a lot of hours for school every day. I wouldn’t be able to achieve the same on my own. My achievements are good, because of my mother especially, so in that way I am definitely supported”.

(Respondent 21, FGD 3)

On the other hand, university staff indicated that several students had a less supportive or even conflictual home environment. If students had to move back home during the pandemic, this also implies that they were forced to spend more time in this context and had fewer opportunities to take a ‘break’ from this environment to unwind. Before the pandemic, the university acted as a possible safe place for these students. During the pandemic, this option was (temporarily) absent, which could have led to escalating conflict situations at home or increased the impact of such an environment.

“There are students who flee to college, they can’t do that now, I mean, they’re not allowed to be here so they have to stay in that difficult situation now. Or not having their own room, not having enough computers at home, those are really- Or everybody hearing what they’re saying through the walls”.

(student psychologist)

It is also important to note that students with a migrant background, who were identified as a vulnerable population in previous quantitative research, argued that the migrant background in itself did not cause the vulnerability, but rather the extent of discrimination and the lower socioeconomic status that often comes with a migrant background.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily because of your migrant background, but simply because of what is your home situation, in which room did you have to study, do you have your own computer? Because I’ve also tutored children with a Belgian background who had it just as hard as children with a migrant background, but simply because they didn’t have the resources they needed. But I just think that this vulnerability is greater with people with a migrant background, like we said earlier, it’s harder to find a student job, it’s harder to find a job. And I mean, that’s just where things are already going wrong. So if society looked at us in a different way maybe, I don’t think that difference would be there anymore based on our background”.

(Respondent 3, FGD 1)

Secondly, the importance of student jobs was emphasized by several respondents, especially by students from migrant backgrounds. It was regretted that several student jobs were lost as a result of the COVID-19 measures. A student job provides students with a financial buffer and a sense of independence, work experience, feeling valued, and social contact. In addition, a student told us that her daily routine also fell away when she lost her job during the pandemic.

“For me, really, corona and its difficulties only really began since, again, that work fell away. Because work, I thought, was what kept my life a little bit normal. So then I didn’t have that feeling of I feel locked in here at home yet, but then it did start”.

(Respondent 5, FGD 1)

3.4.3. Importance of University Facilities to Achieve Inclusion of Students in Need

Within the university, a variety of resources/facilities were made available to students, some of which were already available before the pandemic, and some of which were new or expanded during the pandemic. Examples include the provision of study spaces, (emergency) housing, and provision of (additional) financial grants. The importance of students having their own (study) space was stressed again and again by both students and staff members. Financial support was described by students as a way to be able to breathe, a buffer enabling students to spend more time on their studies.

“I returned to Belgium alone, initially to study, but that was with not a thousand euros in my pocket. So I’ve been living month to month from day one. So my scholarship and my allowance from the university and all the little help that came in, each time were actually a buffer for me, that I was like okay, I can breathe a bit now. I’m not going to run out of food next month. If I fall ill for a while and I earn a little less, it’s not going to be a problem. So in short, I was living from month to month, but those allowances helped me to catch my breath again and to relax a little, actually”.

(Respondent 17, FGD 3)

In addition, the reorganization of education at the university as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on the functioning of students with a learning disability. Thus, in addition to the important role of the university in providing financial aid and supporting students with respect to a study space, providing facilities for students with a disability also remained especially important during COVID. While blended education was an opportunity to provide all students with certain facilities, such as recordings of classes, several students recounted that the shift to blended education meant that their facilities were no longer available or had to be reorganized.

“Because of Corona, I am not allowed to use the facilities that I need, which makes it difficult for me sometimes. Because I often interpret questions the wrong way. So I would be allowed to write how I interpreted this question that way, but that’s not possible with multiple choice questions”.

(Respondent 14, FGD 2)

Applying for and keeping special facilities proved to be a challenge for students that was often accompanied by frustration. Students told us that it was often unclear which facilities they were eligible for, and it required a lot of initiative to obtain special facilities and that they had to work hard to keep their facilities during their studies. There was a lot of administration involved in these applications.

3.5. Potential Solutions

Respondents were also asked what efforts would have helped them in terms of wellbeing during the pandemic. In the table below (

Table 1. Respondents’ suggestions on how to (1) facilitate connectedness and (2) organize/improve university support for students.

Suggestions for Working towards Connectedness
- Stimulate the presence of students on campus; - Provide equipped study places for students on campus; - Promote interactive teaching, e.g., by organizing discussions in small groups, actively engaging students by posing them questions in class, stimulating group discussions, organizing group work, using the chat function during online classes; - Create a culture of interaction and participation in class; - Provide a proper welcome for new students and for students who missed introductory days during the pandemic (e.g., new welcome moment in upcoming academic year); - Support students in organizing social events.
Suggestions for Organizing or Improving University Support
- Make a more visible and approachable point of contact for general and practical questions; - Approach students in an outreaching way to reduce barriers to asking for help; - Organize a peer-support system (e.g., buddy system); - Provide resources to students with fewer socioeconomic resources: study spaces, (emergency) housing, and (additional) financial grants; - Organize support for students in the search for a (replacement) student job and organize support for students confronted with discrimination during the search for a student job; - Ensure a less challenging procedure to obtain and keep academic facilities; - Respect the different needs with respect to the organization of exams; - Establish an office/person who is responsible for the topic of mental wellbeing at the university; - Include a mandatory course on mental wellbeing for all students.

), we summarize the respondents’ suggestions on how a university could realize both goals of facilitating connectedness and organizing or improving university support for students.

4. Discussion

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked attention to mental wellbeing in general and of university students in particular. The current study aimed to understand how students perceived the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its related measures on their mental wellbeing. In line with previous research (Cao et al. 2020; Kaparounaki et al. 2020; Li et al. 2021; Odriozola-González et al. 2020), the narrative of students involved in the current research confirmed that students’ mental wellbeing was at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The focus group discussions with students and student-centered staff revealed that mainly two aspects played an important role within students’ mental wellbeing: (1) the lingering aspect of the pandemic and (2) restricted social contact and support. With respect to the first, the lingering aspect of the pandemic and loss of daily routine made a number of students feel pressured to constantly engage in their studies given that their daily routine was lost in the absence of onsite classes and extracurricular activities. This made them feel as if there was nothing else to do ‘but study’. Secondly, the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent measures—in particular, the shift to blended education—led to a strong reduction in social contact. This reduction in social contact led to students feeling that they were on their own, with reduced peer support and lower levels of feeling connected, both between students and with the university as a whole. From our analyses, this limitation in social contact and connectedness appeared to be the strongest factor for reduced mental wellbeing in students. This is also confirmed previous studies; feelings of connectedness—defined as feeling accepted and loved by the rest of the group, feeling connected to others and feeling a member of a community (Baumeister and Leary 1995)—appear to have a strong impact on both students’ academic performance and mental wellbeing (Hoffman et al. 2002; O’Keeffe 2013; OECD 2017a; Rania et al. 2022a, 2022b). Feeling connected to fellow students and the higher education institution in general leads to increased academic and mental resilience (Hoffman et al. 2002; Lester et al. 2013; O’Keeffe 2013; OECD 2017a, 2017b; Rania et al. 2022b). Moreover, previous research showed that peer support among students has a positive impact on academic performance (Dupont et al. 2015; Friedlander et al. 2007; Tinto 1997), as well as directly on students’ mental wellbeing (John et al. 2018).

Moreover, we identified several underlying factors explaining why certain students were more vulnerable to lower levels of mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, entering the university during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, thus, having no existing network or peer support within the university, made new students (first-year students, students in a bridging program, and international students) more vulnerable. Moreover, these students’ expectations about student life could not be fulfilled. Secondly, students’ social position, including their living situation and having a job, was also identified as an important contextual element during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Literally everything happens at home,’ students stated. Students’ living situation determined whether they had practical facilities and a suitable study space when attending their online courses and studying at home. Moreover, students with a supportive home environment also had more mental space to study and felt less lonely during the pandemic. In addition, students who relied on a job for income not only lost this source of economic security, but also experienced lower levels of independence and feeling useful. The daily routine, social contact, and developing work experience also disappeared. Thirdly, being able to use university facilities (e.g., study spaces, financial grants, specific facilities for students with a learning disability) during the COVID-19 pandemic was beneficial for students’ mental wellbeing.

Our results show that it is important to maintain attention to students’ mental wellbeing within higher education. Students have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group in terms of wellbeing, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (Aristovnik et al. 2020; Auerbach et al. 2016; Kaparounaki et al. 2020; Odriozola-González et al. 2020) and will most likely also be so afterwards. Students’ mental wellbeing can have a strong impact on their study performance. Students who struggle with their mental wellbeing are more likely to leave higher education without a degree (Hartley 2010; Kessler et al. 1995). Moreover, working on students’ mental wellbeing is not only a goal in itself but is also essential to motivate and enable students to unlock their full potential during their study career, as well as afterwards on the labor market, where mental wellbeing is increasingly under pressure (RIZIV 2020).

4.1. Limitations

First, as with all qualitative research, our results cannot be generalized to all Flemish students. For example, it is possible that certain groups of students were more inclined to participate (e.g., people who experienced a strong impact of COVID-19 on their wellbeing), and others were less able to participate (e.g., students who dropped out university due to the pandemic). In this study, female students were overrepresented. When interpreting the results, the reader should, therefore, keep in mind that mental health problems manifest themselves differently in female than male students. While females bear a greater risk of developing internalizing problems, with depression being particularly prevalent, these problems manifest themselves in male students mainly via externalizing disorders, with alcohol abuse being the most prevalent (Auerbach et al. 2016). Moreover, male and female students also appear to differ in their vulnerability to the stressors connected to studying and student life and how they cope with those stressors (Backović et al. 2012; Tran et al. 2018).

Secondly, we focused on several potentially vulnerable groups, but, within each group, other vulnerable characteristics might be present. More research is needed in disentangling these intersectionalities.

Thirdly, the results of this study are related to a specific period in time, and we do not know whether similar trends are occurring in the current post-pandemic era. Follow-up research on the same subgroups will, therefore, remain important, exploring and understanding their mental wellbeing over a longer period of time. Action-based research, e.g., using photovoice as a research technique, might be suitable to further explore students’ experiences and perspectives over time (Rania et al. 2022a, 2022b).

4.2. Policy Recommendations

Practically, the results of the current study can contribute to making student life and university policies more resilient in general and specifically in the case of future shocks/pandemics/large stressors, which might impact students’ wellbeing in similar ways as the COVID-19 pandemic if not properly addressed now. The recommendations described below are specifically designed taking into account vulnerabilities of certain subpopulations of students. The current research shows that universities are not only important spaces for academic development, but also for social support/development. The results indicate that it is important that universities act as social spaces that facilitate connection and peer support, a place where students feel at home, where they can come together spontaneously, develop their social skills, and build (professional) networks. Facilitating connection and peer support is a preventive way of working towards the improved mental wellbeing of students. During the FGDs, students proposed various practical solutions to problems they encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. To reach connectedness, students’ proposed solutions included interactive teaching, organization of new welcome moments especially for students who missed the introductory days during the pandemic, etc. Furthermore, university support in providing facilities to increase inclusivity, an important factor that can additionally promote feelings of connectedness with the university, should be organized or improved. As indicated by students in our study, university support might include the organization of a peer-support system, providing resources for people in need (e.g., study spaces, emergency housing, financial support), etc.