Table 2 Qualitative analysis of open-answer questions
Theme | Codes | n | Extracts |
|---|---|---|---|
Lifestyle & habits | Lifestyle and habits worsened because of pandemic. | 13 | “Very tired, no energy, been at home for so long, now finding it extremely overwhelming coming back to placement.” “Due to not wanting to share the train carriages with others I have begun cycling (15 miles) to get to my part time job.” “Levels of inactivity/activity fluctuated quite dramatically throughout the pandemic” “Consuming more alcohol than before and eating fast foods.” |
Lifestyle and habits improved because of pandemic. Lifestyle and habits fluctuated | 10 2 | ||
Lifestyle and habits affected by non-pandemic factors. | 1 | ||
Mental Health | Mental health issues caused by pandemic | 10 | “I have a history of depression and anxiety but had been coping well prior to lockdown. However, due to the pressures of lockdown, I had to be prescribed anxiety medication once again, which I continue to take.” “I would say it is the first time that I have felt significantly anxious. My sleep was heavily affected at the beginning of the pandemic. I think it was due to their being so many unknowns e.g. how bad this will be, how will my children be affected, when will I be able to see my family. My studies I would say were more towards the bottom of my 'worry list' which I think [reflects] the good support we got from ARU. I felt the university did the best they could in such unprecedented times.” “ … lock-down and the stress of my PhD caused me to develop moderate anxiety & depression. I have since sought support from the well-being service.” |
Pre-existing mental health condition worsened by pandemic. | 5 | ||
Mental health improved during pandemic. | 4 | ||
Mental health worsened by factors other than pandemic. | 3 | ||
Education | Educational disruption; lack of guidance. | 15 | “Online teaching resources have been adequate but can't in any way make up for the practical placement I missed out on. I also feel there has been a lack of guidance on returning to placement and what may happen in the future with placement for students if there is a second wave.” “We received no support, very little teaching or communication and were left to try to learn what we needed to know with no guidance. As a result, many of the class failed elements of the course and have to retest causing stress and anxiety as well as preventing us from progressing in our careers.” |
Worry about missing practical and interactive sessions. | 7 | ||
Satisfaction with virtual teaching. | 7 | ||
Education not affected by pandemic. | 4 |