TY - JOUR
T1 - The relationship between change in routine and student mental wellbeing during a nationwide lockdown
AU - Kiltie, Jamie
AU - Satchell, Liam
AU - Childs, Michael Jeanne
AU - Daniels, Max
AU - Gould, Charlie
AU - Sparrowe, Kerri
AU - Hudson, Charlotte A.
AU - Husted, Margaret
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2023/8/12
Y1 - 2023/8/12
N2 - Objective: During March 2020, the UK entered a national lockdown, causing a sudden change in undergraduate students’ routines. This study uses this event to investigate the impact routine change had on students’ mental wellbeing; in particular looking at depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and eating behaviors. Method: Participants reported their daily routine timings (waking, breakfast, lunch, evening meal and bedtime) and activities (e.g. exercise amount, time with friends, time studying, etc) on a typical Monday, Wednesday and Saturday during term time and lockdown. Additionally they completed the PROMIS measures of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance, and the Eating Pathology Symptom Inventory. Results: Lockdown saw small but significant shifts in routine timing (on average 1.5 h) However, there was no clear overall pattern of relationships between mental wellbeing and routine structure or magnitude of routine change. There was some evidence of changes in amount of exercise relating to reported anxiety. Discussion: These findings are consistent with the current literature reporting lockdown effects on behavior. Routine timings shifted, but this change was small and largely did not affect the mental wellbeing reported by undergraduate students. The change in amount of exercise posed by lockdown did appear to be an important factor in wellbeing, and more research should focus on the wellbeing implications of closing places for exercise.
AB - Objective: During March 2020, the UK entered a national lockdown, causing a sudden change in undergraduate students’ routines. This study uses this event to investigate the impact routine change had on students’ mental wellbeing; in particular looking at depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and eating behaviors. Method: Participants reported their daily routine timings (waking, breakfast, lunch, evening meal and bedtime) and activities (e.g. exercise amount, time with friends, time studying, etc) on a typical Monday, Wednesday and Saturday during term time and lockdown. Additionally they completed the PROMIS measures of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance, and the Eating Pathology Symptom Inventory. Results: Lockdown saw small but significant shifts in routine timing (on average 1.5 h) However, there was no clear overall pattern of relationships between mental wellbeing and routine structure or magnitude of routine change. There was some evidence of changes in amount of exercise relating to reported anxiety. Discussion: These findings are consistent with the current literature reporting lockdown effects on behavior. Routine timings shifted, but this change was small and largely did not affect the mental wellbeing reported by undergraduate students. The change in amount of exercise posed by lockdown did appear to be an important factor in wellbeing, and more research should focus on the wellbeing implications of closing places for exercise.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - Lockdown
KW - anxiety
KW - eating behaviors
KW - instability
KW - mood
KW - routine and structure
KW - stability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85167790666&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00221309.2023.2241949
DO - 10.1080/00221309.2023.2241949
M3 - Article
JO - Journal of General Psychology
JF - Journal of General Psychology
SN - 0022-1309
ER -