More than half of students staying in student rooms go home for the weekend
October 9th 2020
UAntwerp’s Great Corona Study asked about possible psychological support
UAntwerp’s bi-weekly Great Corona Study shows that 11.1% of participants who had already seen a psychologist in the past, went to see a psychologist in the past few months specifically due to corona.
Tuesday saw the twenty-first wave of the Great Corona Study. Some 19,700 people participated: several hundred more than in the previous questionnaire. The large-scale questionnaire is an initiative of UAntwerp, in cooperation with UHasselt, KU Leuven and ULB. The Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) provides a financial boost. An initial analysis of the data – as is customary every two weeks – yields many interesting findings.
In 30.4% of cases, participants who take a COVID-19 test do so because they have symptoms. 19.6% are obliged to be tested prior to receiving any form of medical treatment. 18.1% tested after coming into close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient and 11% after returning from an orange or red zone.
The scientists asked participants this week if they had sought psychological support because of the corona crisis. 11.1% of the people who already received support in the past sought help from a psychologist specifically due to corona. Of the people who had not sought psychological support before, 1.6% did so. To a lesser extent, therapists and psychiatrists were also contacted.
23% of participants describe their own financial situation as ‘difficult’. 93% of these people say that they currently have no money left over for leisure activities. Of this group, 19% sought additional financial support, usually from family members.
Among college and university students, a large majority finds the colour code chosen by the institution (yellow or orange) appropriate. Students in code yellow are more likely to find this too risky; while students in code orange find it too cautious. Almost half of participating students had attended a corona-safe social activity in the past two weeks. Just over half of students staying in student rooms plan to go home every weekend. Some experts advised against this to avoid contact between the different generations.