Prevalence and determinants of mental well-being and satisfaction with life among university students amidst COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused a slew of mental illnesses due to a lack of cures and vaccinations, as well as concerns about students’ well-being and satisfaction with life, resulting in psychological symptoms and dissatisfaction with their lives. As students are highly susceptible to mental health issues, researchers discovered that perceived SWL and MWB decreased. The present study investigated the prevalence and determinants of mental well-being and satisfaction with life among university students in Bangladesh.MethodsAn e-survey based cross-sectional study was carried out from February to April 2021 among 660 students. A purposive sampling technique was utilized in the study. Self-reported mental well-being and satisfaction with life psychological tools were also used. The e-questionnaire survey was conducted with informed consent and questions were related to socio-demographics, satisfaction with life, and mental well-being scales. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were performed. The data were rechecked and analyzed with the R programming languageResultsThe prevalence estimates of mental well-being and satisfaction with life were 27% and 13%, respectively. In a total of 660 participants, 58.2% of them were male and the rest of them were female (41.8%). Among the participants, 22.5% suffer the worst conditions regarding their financial conditions, and 16.5% badly seek a job for livelihood.ConclusionThe present findings revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic and longtime educational institution closure significantly affect the students mental health. Students’ mental well-being was in vulnerable conditions and their satisfaction with life was extremely poor. A comprehensive student psychological support service should be expanded to help students’ mental health.