The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on social and mental health of students in higher education institutions in India

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected people from all walks of life, as they were asked to self-quarantine in their houses to prevent the virus from spreading. The lockdown had major consequences for education, social and mental health, resulting in issues such as frustration, stress, and anxiety.  To investigate the effects of the pandemic on the lives of students, we conducted case studies of 18 degree pursuing students from four educational institutions in Bangalore. The case studies identified there were clear impact on education, social and mental health of students. Findings of the study present us with a  picture that is somewhat incomplete but clear on how students perceive the online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic in India and the challenges that need to be addressed by adopting innovative teaching methods and facilitating discussion. The following as the impact of COVID-19 on the higher education  pursuing students: time spent on online classes and self-study, the medium used for learning, sleeping habits, daily fitness routine, and the subsequent effects on weight, social life, and mental health. Moreover, Four emerging themes were developed from the transcripts of the interviews with 18 participants these are  virtual mode of education: lack of innovative teaching; COVID-19 impact on education: lack of experiential learning; Impact on emotions: lack of actual interaction and discussion; teacher-centric pedagogy: lack of students’ perspective and impact on social life: lack of social gathering and interaction. These themes  and data within them describe a number of challenges that are faced by higher education pursuing students in Bangalore