The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' academic performance and mental health: An overview

Abstract

COVID-19 had repercussions in many fields, including education. Although society worldwide was affected, students and the academic sector were hit hardest. Distance learning was used by almost all governments globally during the pandemic to keep education going when schools were closed. Lockdown, maintaining social distance, online classes, financial insecurity of the parents, etc., have tremendous impacts on students’ academic performance and mental health. The primary aim of this article is to review the existing literature to explore how COVID-19 affects students’ academic performance and poses a threat to their mental health. We reviewed 88 articles published between 2020 and 2023 and found that students from low-income backgrounds face disproportionate educational barriers. Converting from face-to-face to online classes was not equally smooth for students from all backgrounds. We also found that various life circumstances negatively affected students' mental health, including concerns about contracting a disease, financial difficulties, isolation from peers, the death of a parent, and the transition to online education. Worry, despair, and stress have all reached potentially lethal heights due to COVID-19 among students. Geographical disparities in the impacts of COVID-19 were seen, with certain nations seeing a greater degree of influence, particularly in the realm of education. We urge the stakeholders and policymakers to better prepare for and manage this type of crisis in the future. We also suggest that teachers, parents, and policymakers enhance students' virtual communication effectiveness while acquiring new knowledge and implementing more systematic approaches to fostering students' cognitive growth.