skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Search for: All records

Creators/Authors contains: "Bandera, Cesar"

Note: When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
What is a DOI Number?

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.

  1. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation of depression and anxiety with time spent at home among students at two universities—one urban and the other suburban—during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Geolocation data from the smartphones of 124 participants were collected between February 2021 and May 2021. The level of depression was estimated by the PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 screening tools, and anxiety scores were estimated by the GAD-2 and GAD-7 screening tools. Results: 51% of participants in the PHQ-9 surveys indicated mild to severe depression. Participants spent on average 75% of their time at home during COVID. Time spent at home had a positive correlation with the mental health of urban students but a negative correlation with suburban students. The relation between the time at home with mental health was stronger among female participants than among male participants. Correlations between female depression, anxiety, and time at home were significant. Conclusions: Lockdown and distance learning contributed to the high levels of depression in university students. This research highlights the importance of time spent at home for mental health being during the pandemic and the importance of distinguishing between urban and suburban settings when formulating public health recommendations. Quality of time spent at home versus time spent outside differentiated the mental well-being of students located in different environments. Staying at home may be recommended for students without access to safe outdoor places as it is associated with lower levels of depression. 
    more » « less