Is the mental health of young students and their family members affected during the quarantine period? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic in Albania

Accessible summaryWhat is known on the subject? Mental health is deteriorated during the quarantine period. Mental health status is affected by the quarantine even after the end of it and for an extended period. What the paper adds to existing knowledge? Depression levels among nursing/midwifery students during the quarantine period are high. Depression levels among students' family members during the quarantine period are high. Those who are not satisfied with COVID-19 prevention measures and those who believe that COVID-19 and quarantine can cause problems on health, have elevated levels of depression. What are the implications for practice? Provision of mental health services during the quarantine period should be a priority for the healthcare system. Offering mental health first aid training and support can improve the mental health status of students and their family members. Introduction The use of quarantine method has a significant impact on mental health status. Aim This study aimed to assess the levels of depression among bachelor and master university students (nurses/midwives) and their family members' during the quarantine period of COVID-19 pandemic. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted in Vlora University, Albania. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used. Institutional e-mails of all active students were used for their recruitment. Results In total, 863 students and 249 family members participated in the study. The mean PHQ-9 score was 6.220 (SD = 5.803) and 6.280 (SD = 5.857) for students and family members, respectively. Being unsatisfied with COVID-19 prevention measures, beliefs that COVID-19 infection and quarantine process can cause problems on their health status were the key factors for students to be screened positive for mental problems in multiple regression analysis. For parents, the last two factors were found to contribute significantly. Discussion Our findings indicate that quarantine measures have a significant impact on the levels of depression among both university students and their family members. Broader population studies are necessary to safeguard these results. Implications for Practice Provision of mental health services during the quarantine period is of paramount significance. Mental health first aid training and support could benefit both students and their parents significantly. Additionally, follow-up services after the end of quarantine are recommended.