Social and psychiatric effects of Covid-19 pandemic and distance learning on high school students: A crosssectional web-based survey

Q: What was the study designed to evaluate?

The research assessed socio-psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning on high school students, including social life and psychological well-being.

Q: How were participants recruited and what type of study was used?

A web-based cross-sectional questionnaire was sent through social media to high school students in Turkey and Denmark.

Q: How were emotional outcomes measured?

Emotional health was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affects Schedule (PANAS).

Q: What overall conclusions were drawn about distance learning and student well-being?

Adolescents in both countries were severely affected and expressed negative views about distance education, with Turkish online education reported as less satisfactory than the Danish system.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by eBook King

The study examines socio-psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning on high school students in Turkey and Denmark, focusing on differences by school type (public vs private) and by country. A web-based cross-sectional questionnaire recruited 565 Turkish and 92 Danish students, collecting socio-demographics and pandemic- and education-related variables affecting social life and psychological well-being. Emotional health was measured with PANAS. Findings indicate generally negative impacts, lower satisfaction with Turkish online education, and notable within-Turkey disadvantages for public-school students.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Study context and distance learning implementation

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 10(4), pp. 369-381, October 2022 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.104.21.123 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Social and psychiatric effects of Covid-19 pandemic and distance learning on high school students: A crosssectional web-based survey Seyahi LS1, Ozcan SG2, Sut N3, Mayer A4 and Poyraz BC5* 1American Robert College, Istanbul, Turkey. 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Cerrahpasa Medical School, Istanbul UniversityCerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey. 3 Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Trakya University Medical Faculty, Edirne, Turkey. 4Aurehøj High School, Copenhagen, Denmark. 5 Department of Psychiatry, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey. Accepted 19 August, 2022 | ABSTRACT
We investigated the socio-psychological effects of both the pandemic and distance learning on high school students in Turkey and Denmark. We aimed to assess whether there were any differences between students attending public or private schools in Turkey, and between two countries having different approaches to the pandemic and considerable socio-cultural and economic differences. We conducted a web-based questionnaire study in a cross-sectional design using the Survey Monkey Platform and sent it out via social media to high school students in Turkey and Denmark. The survey collected socio-demographic data, several variables associated with pandemic and distance education and their effects on social life and psychological well-being. Additionally, emotional health was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affects Schedule. We studied 565 (mean age: 16.5 ± 1.0) Turkish and 92 (mean age: 17.7 ± 1.0) Danish students, of whom the majority were female adolescents (63% vs 76%) . Students educated in public (47 .6%) and private high schools (52 .4%) were nearly similar in number in the Turkish group, whereas in the Danish sample almost all students were from public schools (98 .9%) . Turkish students were significantly more likely to be compliant with the pandemic-related restrictions. Besides that, there were significant socio-economic disparities between Turkish and Danish students and also within Turkey between public and private school students. Turkish online education system was significantly less adequate and satisfactory compared to the Danish system. These were even worse for those who were attending public schools in Turkey. Regardless of the socio-economic differences, the majority of the students in both countries have been negatively affected by the pandemic and related restrictions and had a negative opinion about distance education. This was also true for the PANAS scores. The total scores of PANAS were similar between Turkish and Danish students (PA: 27.0 ± 7.6 versus 25.8 ± 5.6; NA: 24.8 ± 7.5 versus 24.5 ± 7.3) and also within Turkey between public and private school students (PA: 26.8 ± 7.5 versus 27.1 ± 7.6; NA: 24.7 ± 7.2 versus 25.0 ± 7.8) . While female students were significantly more severely affected in the Turkish group, no such gender differences were observed in the Danish group. Additionally, considerable portion of the students in Turkey and Denmark expressed loneliness (55 .2% vs 59.8%, p<0 .706), boredom (71 .2% vs 58.7%, p=0 .019) and anxiety towards the future (61 .4% vs 22 .8%, p<0 .001) . Decreased physical activity, sleep problems, eating disorders and domestic abuse were other complaints. In conclusion, adolescents from both countries have been severely affected by the pandemic and its related restrictions and expressed negative views about distance education. Turkish online education system seemed to be less satisfactory when compared to the Danish system. Within Turkey, public school students had significantly more disadvantages compared to those attending private schools. Despite the fact that there were several socio-economic inequal

FAQs

What was the study designed to evaluate?

The research assessed socio-psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning on high school students, including social life and psychological well-being.

How were participants recruited and what type of study was used?

A web-based cross-sectional questionnaire was sent through social media to high school students in Turkey and Denmark.

How were emotional outcomes measured?

Emotional health was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affects Schedule (PANAS).

What overall conclusions were drawn about distance learning and student well-being?

Adolescents in both countries were severely affected and expressed negative views about distance education, with Turkish online education reported as less satisfactory than the Danish system.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by eBook King