The Research Monitoring Group

university students’ mental health in the pandemic context

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the use of the GAP-Research Monitoring Group method in research on the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. The method showed a bonding capacity between the researchers and participants and also the capacity to gather data about the pandemic’s impact on the participant students for a qualitative analysis. The student’s mental health was deeply affected by the pandemic, with traumatic memories, anxiety symptoms and coping with the grief of loved ones and mainly interrupted plans and insecurity about the present and future being some of the consequences of it. That being said, the GAP methodology showed to be, beside a research related debate space, a great listening and socialization space during the pandemic’s lockdown period.