Back Home: the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall life satisfaction of university students/De Volta para Casa: os efeitos da pandemia de COVID-19 na satisfacao geral com a vida dos estudantes universitarios

We analyzed the effects of social isolation on the overall life satisfaction of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was carried out with 2,556 Brazilian university students and the main techniques used were exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis, and structural equation modeling. The results indicate that most university students perceived losses in overall life satisfaction due to the pandemic. We found that the more the individual identifies the worsening in health during the process of social isolation, the greater their perception of loss of life satisfaction. On the other hand, the greater the feeling that social isolation can protect against COVID-19, the lesser the loss of overall life satisfaction of the individual. The predominant profile in the group with the greatest loss in overall life satisfaction is women, single, childless, and with low income. These results suggest the possibility of an increased demand for psychological care and the need for special care when resuming in-person classes.