Impactos da pandemia na expressão de falhas cognitivas em estudantes universitários

Abstract

The psychological impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are already being identified in the general population. Among university students, especially undergraduates who are naturally more prone to symptoms of anxiety and depression resulting from stress in the face of academic requirements, this can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of cognitive functions, culminating in an increase in cognitive failures. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of cognitive failures in university students during the Covid-19 Pandemic. We evaluated 115 participants, mean age 25.48 years (SD = 7.74), who answered three instruments: Sociodemographic questionnaire, Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD - 7). In addition to descriptive statistics, data were analyzed using GLM tests and Spearman correlations. Correlations were found between the perception of the pandemic and the presence of cognitive failures. It was also identified that participants with a diagnosis of mental disorder expressed significantly more cognitive failures than those without a diagnosis. Also, participants with higher general levels of anxiety had a higher frequency of cognitive failures. Finally, no gender differences were observed in the expression of cognitive failures. In general, we can conclude that there is a relationship between cognitive failures and the perception that participants have of the pandemic, as well as between failures and diagnosis of mental disorder and levels of anxiety expressed by the participants. Such indications can be very relevant for the planning of specific follow-ups for this population, which is under such pressure regarding performance and productivity despite the pandemic situation.