Author(s): Farhana Zaman, Esrat Jahan and Ashek Mahmud
Abstract: COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the life of young generation particularly by affecting their mental health condition. Considering the disproportionate effects of COVID -19 on youth, the study aims at understanding and exploring the mental health conditions of the university students. To serve the purpose, a survey was conducted on a purposively selected sample size of 113 undergraduate students of Jagannath University of Bangladesh. The study finds that a large proportion of the university students are deprived of face-to-face interaction with their classmates and peers due to COVID- related restrictions. Many of them experience acute economic crisis, family torture, and excessive smartphone dependency that predominantly breed sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression. The study finally suggests that governments and educational institutions should implement strong mental health support services, incorporate trauma-informed approaches, promote open discussions on mental health, and create adaptable learning environments to help students recover from the trauma caused by COVID-19