In March, with Capital Normal University (CNU) as the first unit, Prof. Li Qi from the School of Psychology, CNU, together with the University of Arkansas, Yale University and other research institutions in the United States, published a research paper entitledA 2-Year Mental Health Follow-up Study Subsequent to COVID-19 in the Psychiatry Research (SCI/SSCI-JCR-2022: Q1, IF=""11.3,"" CAS Zone 2), an internationally renowned journal in the field of psychology.

For the study of the long-term effects of COVID-19 on college students' mental health, Li Qi and her team conducted a 2-year mental health follow-up study subsequent to COVID-19 among college students who were severely affected by COVID-19. The results found that: the students had dropping fear, loneliness, and academic difficulties over time, reflecting fluctuations in situational and emotional states (as shown in Fig. 1A, B and C); that during COVID-19 pandemic, psychological resilience was correlated positively with changes in fear (as shown in Fig. 1D) and negatively with changes in well-being during COVID-19 (as shown in Fig. 1E), and resilience-induced protection was weakening under long-term stress (as shown in Fig. 1F, the curve from January to February 2022 is blue and that from May to June 2022 is red); that the students still have problems with loneliness, fear, and suppressed happiness, which together exacerbate their academic difficulties (as shown in Fig. 2A, B, and C); and that the gender disparity in psychological symptoms that existed before the COVID-19 pandemic disappeared two years after COVID-19 (as shown in Fig. 2D).

Through research, Li Qi and her team has found that serious psychological consequences, including fear and loneliness, may persist after COVID-19. Psychological resilience is helpful in keeping mental health, however such protection weakens under unprecedented stress. Academic difficulties can be improved, but loneliness, fear, and suppressed happiness exacerbate them. In addition, their study investigated students' academic difficulties and the factors protecting students from the stressor during the peak of COVID-19 in January 2022 and the Post-pandemic in May 2022, and mapped the trajectories of fear, loneliness, and psychological resilience, which have practical implications for making administrative policies in support of students. According to the findings, schools and society can provide more targeted support and resources to help students cope with loneliness and psychological stress, and promote their mental health and academic performance.

Text link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115684