(Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2024-07-04) Valdés-Sánchez, Nelson; Sandoval, Sofía
This research sought to describe the physical, psychological, social, and academic consequences of university students during the first year of confinement, and to identify the main coping strategies used. Following a qualitative methodology, 67 university students from different regions of the country were interviewed. The results showed that there was an initial acceptance of confinement by students, as an extreme sanitary measure necessary to reduce cases of contagion, but that as time went by it began to be perceived as a terrible experience characterized by the loss of routines, lack of control and permanent uncertainty that ended up affecting different areas of their functioning. To cope with these consequences, the students used various strategies, mainly those focused on active problem solving (maintaining fixed schedules, seeking contact with significant people, implementing physical activity routines, and requesting professional help, among others) and the development of greater self-awareness (relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and self-compassion, among others). The relevance and future implications of these results are discussed.
