How COVID-19 Affected the Mental Health of Primary School Students in Vietnam

Abstract

The chapter discusses the main mental health problems of primary school children in Vietnam that arose during the period of restrictive measures related to COVID-19. The study was conducted among 8401 students in Grades 2-5 on the basis of voluntary participation. To assess the manifestations of psychological syndromes due to COVID-19, an author's questionnaire consisting of 15 questions with four levels of answers was used. The study uses DASS21 to assess the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression of students. The reliability of the results of the study was verified using the alpha coefficient (ANOVA test) and factor analysis EFA. The factors that negatively affect the mental state of schoolchildren during COVID-19 and its consequences are presented: abuse of social networks and the internet, excessive use of smartphones, an increase in online learning time, an imbalance in physical activity, peculiarities of the relationship between parents and children, a decrease in social interaction. To study the problem, new research materials of Vietnamese scientists were studied.