Frontiers in public health · 2026
Predictor and subgroup analysis of somatic symptoms and emotional exhaustion among university students in Germany during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: a longitudinal analysis.
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Wörle Katharina, Dietz Pavel, Letzel Stephan, Rigotti Thomas, Mülder Lina M, Reichel Jennifer L
Аннотация
INTRODUCTION: The mental and physical health of university students is not just of interest to the students themselves, but to our whole society. While most research has focused on medical students, other disciplines remain underexplored. Therefore, this study aims (1) to assess the prevalence and development of emotional exhaustion and somatic symptoms from 2020 to 2021 in both cross-sectional and longitudinal samples of university students, (2) to examine subgroup differences based on demographics and study fields, and (3) to investigate predictors of symptom changes.
METHODS: Data were collected from students from a large university in Germany, using two surveys conducted 1 year apart. Independent-samples t-tests were used to examine subgroup differences, and multiple regression analyses to identify predictors of changes in symptoms.
RESULTS: A total of 3,066 students participated in the 2020 survey, and 1,438 in 2021, with a longitudinal sample of N = 264. Approximately one-third of all students exhibited critical somatic symptom scores, and 18%-19% reached high emotional exhaustion scores. Non-medical students reported higher somatic symptoms compared to medical students, and females as well as first-year students showed higher levels of both emotional exhaustion and somatic symptoms. Longitudinal analyses indicated that emotional exhaustion increased with higher perceived work complexity.
DISCUSSION: These findings highlight considerable mental and physical health impairments not only among medical students but also across diverse study fields, with particular vulnerabilities among women and new students. Moreover, the link between emotional exhaustion and work complexity underscores academic pressure as a key contributor to students' mental health. Thus, universities could set the base for an efficient future workforce with an early health promoting education, preventive measures addressing work complexity and targeted support to vulnerable groups.
METHODS: Data were collected from students from a large university in Germany, using two surveys conducted 1 year apart. Independent-samples t-tests were used to examine subgroup differences, and multiple regression analyses to identify predictors of changes in symptoms.
RESULTS: A total of 3,066 students participated in the 2020 survey, and 1,438 in 2021, with a longitudinal sample of N = 264. Approximately one-third of all students exhibited critical somatic symptom scores, and 18%-19% reached high emotional exhaustion scores. Non-medical students reported higher somatic symptoms compared to medical students, and females as well as first-year students showed higher levels of both emotional exhaustion and somatic symptoms. Longitudinal analyses indicated that emotional exhaustion increased with higher perceived work complexity.
DISCUSSION: These findings highlight considerable mental and physical health impairments not only among medical students but also across diverse study fields, with particular vulnerabilities among women and new students. Moreover, the link between emotional exhaustion and work complexity underscores academic pressure as a key contributor to students' mental health. Thus, universities could set the base for an efficient future workforce with an early health promoting education, preventive measures addressing work complexity and targeted support to vulnerable groups.