The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Global Crisis: Aspects of University Students' Well-Being During the Quarantine in Greece.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid transition to emergency online learning affected the academic and social lives of young people. This study aimed (a) to examine how university students' well-being was influenced during the second stage of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) in Greece and (b) to explore the relationship between university students' online learning competence and well-being during the pandemic in two universities in Greece. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2021 among the students at the Universities of West Attica and Ioannina. Participants completed a self-administered online questionnaire including demographics, the General Health Questionnaire-12, the Flourishing Scale Questionnaire, and an Online Education Experience Questionnaire. Focusing on the Flourishing Scale Questionnaire, factor analysis, reliability, and validity of the identified underlying factor were estimated and multivariable median regression analysis was performed to investigate determinants of well-being. Results: 1103 students participated, 73.6% were female, and 80.4% were aged <25 years. Analysis revealed satisfactory convergent validity and high reliability of the Flourishing Scale Questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.88). Over 50% of the participants reported high levels of well-being. Students with greater confidence in using basic online learning tools and satisfaction with living conditions during lockdown reported well-being (p < 0.001). In contrast, those who reported dissatisfaction with their living conditions (p = 0.002) or whose living arrangements were influenced by financial concerns (p = 0.046) reported unwellness. Conclusions: The results provided useful insight into the complex interrelations between the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, online education, and young people's well-being, especially nowadays, when education, employment, and entertainment increasingly rely on internet-delivered modes for young people.