Perceived Satisfaction with Online Study during COVID-19 Lockdown Correlates Positively with Resilience and Negatively with Anxiety, Depression, and Stress among Slovenian Postsecondary Students

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study is to fill the research gap regarding the influence of satisfaction with distance learning on the correlates of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted in February and March 2021, involving 4661 postsecondary students. Five validated instruments—PHQ-9 (depression), GAD-7 (anxiety), PSS-4 (stress), CD-RISC-10 (resilience) and SAT-5 (satisfaction with online study)—were used in the present study. Findings: The correlations between anxiety, depression, and stress were so high that they were almost inextricably linked. Both satisfaction with online learning and psychological resilience were negatively correlated with anxiety, depression, and stress. Satisfaction with online learning was also negatively correlated with psychological resilience. Females showed higher levels of vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and stress, and exhibited lower levels of psychological resilience than males. Conclusion: Home-based distance-learning during the COVID-19-induced lockdown had a significant impact on students’ mental health. Low satisfaction with distance learning can lead to the development of anxiety and depression symptoms, increase stress, and decrease the psychological resilience of postsecondary students; therefore, it is critical that educational institutions focus on implementing interventions that promote students’ satisfaction with distance learning, and their psychological resilience, to protect their mental health.