Covid-19 and mental health: A study of social representations with university students

Authors

  • Jaqueline Gomes Cavalcanti Centro Universitário UNIESP
  • Fabrycianne Gonçalves Costa Universidade Federal da Paraíba
  • Maria da Penha de Lima Coutinho Centro Universitário UNIESP
  • Adriele Vieira de Lima Pinto Universidade Federal da Paraíba
  • Karla Costa Silva Universidade Federal da Paraíba

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22491/1678-4669.20210013

Keywords:

University students, Mental health, Social representation, Pandemic

Abstract

There were 294 participants, between 18 to 59 years old (M = 27.43; SD = 6.05). These participants submitted to a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Free Word Association Technique (stimuli: coronavirus and health mental), applied online. Process the data using the TRIDEUX-MOTS software through the Factor Analysis of Correspondence. The results pointed to consensualities between the “coronavirus” and “mental health” stimuli anchored in the psycho-emotional sphere, aimed at anxiety, fear, anguish, and sadness. These stimuli also share other nuclei of a meaning of SR, anchored in protective elements of mental health, faith, health, care, and family. Thus, understanding how SR from different groups in the face of this new phenomenon can help preventive actions to face the disease and preserve mental health. Keywords: mental health; university students; social representation; pandemic.

Author Biographies

Jaqueline Gomes Cavalcanti, Centro Universitário UNIESP

Doutora em Psicologia Social pela Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), é Professora do Centro Universitário UNIESP.

Fabrycianne Gonçalves Costa, Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Doutora em Psicologia Social pela Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), é Professora do Centro Universitário UNIESP

Maria da Penha de Lima Coutinho, Centro Universitário UNIESP

Doutora em Psicologia Clínica pela Universidade de São Paulo (USP), é Coordenadora do curso de Psicologia do Centro Universitário UNIESP

Adriele Vieira de Lima Pinto, Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Doutora em Psicologia Social pela Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), é Professora do Centro Universitário UNIESP.

Karla Costa Silva, Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Mestre em Psicologia Social pela Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), é Servidora Pública do Instituto Federal de Pernambuco (IFPE).

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Published

2021-07-01

How to Cite

Cavalcanti, J. G., Costa, F. G., Coutinho, M. da P. de L., Pinto, A. V. de L., & Silva, K. C. (2021). Covid-19 and mental health: A study of social representations with university students. Estudos De Psicologia (Natal), 26(2), 128–138. https://doi.org/10.22491/1678-4669.20210013

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 2 (2021)

Section

Psychobiology and Cognitive Psychology

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Estudos de Psicologia (Natal)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.