摘要：The COVID-19 pandemic has relevant repercussions on the physical and psychological health of University students. Besides the threats to health and financial difficulties, changes in academic routines and reduction of social interaction impact heavily on students’ lives. Conversely personal characteristics and coping behaviours may enhance their ability to resist pandemic adversities. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in Portuguese university students and to uncover individual behaviours and traits associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Method: We used a crosssectional approach through an online questionnaire to characterize students’ psychological state, academic activities, information consumption about the pandemic, and coping styles during the pandemic. Results: From the 1751 surveys received, 1447 were included in the analysis. The prevalence rates for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and low resilience scores were 66.7%, 37.3%, and 24.9%, respectively. Medical students reported significantly higher resilience levels compared to the other areas of formation. Architectures/Arts, Sciences, and Humanities scored significantly higher on the depression scale. Lower distress levels were found in male participants, and when problem-focused (studying, working, performing extracurricular activities) and emotion-focused (physical exercise and relaxing activities) behaviours were reported. In contrast, spending more time watching the news, difficulties in online academic activities, and isolation from family and friends were associated with worse psychological indicators. Conclusions: The COVID-19 outbreak had a considerable impact on the psychological state of Portuguese university students, mainly regarding anxiety and depression. Students also showed a noteworthy ability to resist pandemic stress and use adaptative coping strategies.
