TY  - JOUR
TI  - The Prevalence of Loneliness among University Students from Five European Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic
T2  - Psychology. Journal of Higher School of Economics
IS  - Psychology. Journal of Higher School of Economics
KW  - university students
KW  - loneliness
KW  - UCLA Loneliness Scale
KW  - pandemic
KW  - COVID-19
AB  - At universities for students, the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduced anti-pandemic measures turned out to be psycho-traumatic factors that increased the experience of loneliness. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence of the phenomenon of loneliness among university students in five European countries, taking into account the variety of anti-COVID measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, questionnaires of 2316 students. In Russia, Poland and Ukraine a hard lockdown was introduced during the pandemic. Lithuania (in the first months) did not undertake severe restrictions, and for a long time the danger of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was not recognized in Belarus. The students in Lithuania and Belarus, 33 and 35 points. Students from Poland, Russia and Ukraine: 38, 37, 37 points, respectively. All respondents were classified according to three levels of loneliness experience. A low level (<40) was noted in 1,510 cases (65.2%), medium (40‒60) — 740 people (32.0%), high (>60) experience of loneliness — 66 respondents (2.8%). Among the representatives of Lithuania and Belarus, a low level of subjective feeling of loneliness prevailed (about 70% of respondents), while in Ukraine, Russia and Poland the share of low indicators was significantly less, respectively, 65.2%, 59.8% and 57.8%. University students from five countries who participated in the study do not experience high levels of loneliness. Gradation of the prevalence of feelings of loneliness from minimum to maximum in comparison is as follows: LT — BY — RU—UA—PL. The severity of loneliness is associated with the levels of restrictions in the countries during the pandemic.
AU  - Andrei Shpakou
AU  - Liudmila Klimatckaia
AU  - Natalia Skoblina
AU  - Joanna Baj-Korpak
AU  - Aelita Skarbalienė
AU  - Olga Fedortsiv
AU  - Tatyana Krestyaninova
AU  - Alena Znatnova
AU  - Aleh Kuzniatsou
AU  - Julia Cherkasova
UR  - https://psy-journal.hse.ru/en/2021-18-4/545350155.html
PY  - 2021
SP  - 871-887
VL  - 18