Student Wellbeing Monitor: EUR students on the edge of depression and burnout

Students feel lonely, stressed and are suffering signs of depression. This is apparent from the results of the Student Wellbeing Monitor, a university survey on student welfare. The survey was distributed during the second lockdown between last December and February. A total of three thousand students, some 10 per cent of the student population, took part.

Female students are more severely affected than their male counterparts. Their self-confidence is lower, their stress levels are higher and they suffer more symptoms of burnout, anxiety and depression.

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A striking result is that Dutch students feel more alone than international students. According to academic leader student wellbeing program, Marilisa Boffo, this is probably due to the lack of social contact for Dutch students during the coronavirus. “Many Dutch students went to live with their parents during lockdown. This meant that their contact with co-students and contemporaries was considerably less. Things were quite different for internationals. They generally live in student accommodation where they could easily have contact with fellow students or roommates during the lockdown,” she explains. “Please note, many internationals did not come to Rotterdam for their studies in the last academic year, so we do not know what their social and living situation was like in their home country.”

 

Bachelor students unhappier

According to the survey results, master students felt lonelier than bachelor students. And yet bachelor students generally had lower welfare scores. They are unhappier, have less self-confidence, more stress and more symptoms of depression.

Almost 70 per cent of respondents indicated that their stress levels were higher than normal. Their study was a particular source of stress (mentioned by more than two-thirds of respondents). Students find it difficult to stay motivated and to concentrate. They are also concerned that their study will be delayed by the pandemic (just over half of students had these concerns).

Particularly Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Science and Erasmus University College students scored low on welfare levels, while Erasmus Medical Center scored highest.

Expectations of EUR

Three-quarters of students say that they did not have much social contact and found it difficult to study at home during the second lockdown. They hope that EUR will open more study places. Students want a quick return to campus, even though six in ten students considers hybrid education a good idea.

This Student Well-being Monitor is part of the university’s student wellbeing programme. EUR is planning to repeat the survey regularly in the coming four years to obtain a good impression of its students’ wellbeing and mental health.