NCI’s SAMI Lab team members proudly contribute to the Irish Journal of Education and other tech news outlets

A dedicated team of researchers at NCI (National College of Ireland’s) SAMI Lab have proudly contributed to the Educational Research Centre’s Irish Journal of Education.

The Irish Journal of Education (IJE) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that is published by the Educational Research Centre (ERC). Usually, there are just six articles published per year. First established in 1966 in St. Patrick’s College in Drumcondra, the ERC is recognised internationally as a centre of excellence in research, assessment and evaluation in education. In 2025, it was established as a designated statutory body of the Department of Education.

The study entitled “Mental Health Among Third-Level Students in Ireland During COVID-19,” presented by Dr David Mothersill, Dr Gerard Loughnane, Dr April Hargreaves, and Hau Nguyen aimed to examine levels of mental ill-health and predictive factors of mental ill-health in third-level students in Ireland during COVID-19.

Many factors were considered in this study such as relationship status, LGBTI status, pre-existing mental health conditions, and various life factors to assess whether these variables predicted probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), depression, or anxiety.

“Working in academia I am very aware of the various difficulties that our students face. We have already seen a steady decline in the mental health of young people globally over the past 20 years; from a mental illness prevalence of approximately 15% to a prevalence closer to 50%. The worry was that the COVID pandemic and its resultant loss of the important social networks that students spoke of, would exacerbate this mental health decline.” commented Dr April Hargreaves, Associate Professor of Psychology at NCI.

The mental health of 268 third-level students during COVID-19 were examined in this study through logistic regression analysis. This study found that, given prior evidence that social isolation predicts negative mental health outcomes, and the association between negative change in social life and probable negative mental health outcomes observed in our study, future research should examine ways of increasing opportunities for social engagement among students attending online and blended third-level courses in Ireland.

A key finding to this study is that students who reported a negative change to their social life experienced greater levels of mental ill health than their peers who reported either no social change or a positive social change. This is important as it suggests that it is not the change in social interaction itself that causes difficulty for a person’s mental health, it is the perception that the change in social interaction is negative.

“Having seen the stress third-level students were under during the pandemic, we are really proud of our new study examining mental health in students during this time. We are delighted to see this work published in the Irish Journal of Education, which is internationally recognised.” said Dr David Mothersill, Assistant Professor, Programme Director of Psychology at NCI.

There is also the potential for a broader scope of studies to be undertaken as more research is needed to examine mental health in a larger population of third-level students to have results that can be used more broadly. The findings of this study highlight the need to promote community engagement and social opportunities for third-level students, particularly noting a need to develop online student services such as online counselling services for students doing online courses. You Can Read the Full Paper Here in the Irish Journal of Education.

Dr April Hargreaves further stated “I am delighted to see this research published in the Irish Journal of Education – a perfect platform for our findings due to the readership it attracts. Deepening our understanding of the nuances of student needs is the first step in creating a learning environment that fosters positive outcomes for all. Our students need space not only to learn but also to grow and connect where they feel safe and supported.”

You Can Read Dr David Mothersill’s Article Here.

You Can Read Dr April Hargreaves Article Here.

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