PERAN PENGETAHUAN COVID-19 DAN KECEMASAN TERHADAP SIKAP MENCARI BANTUAN PROFESIONAL PSIKOLOGIS PADA MAHASISWA RANTAU SAAT MENGHADAPI PANDEMI

SURRAHMI MARYAM I, Supra Wimbarti M.Sc., Ph.D., Psikolog

2023 | Tesis | MAGISTER PSIKOLOGI PROFESI

Pandemi COVID-19 telah menciptakan banyak kekhawatiran yang mengarah pada kecemasan, terutama bagi mahasiswa rantau. Bantuan profesional psikologis pun semakin banyak bermunculan guna mengatasi permasalahan kesehatan mental saat pandemi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat peran pengetahuan COVID-19 dan kecemasan mahasiswa rantau terhadap sikap mencari bantuan profesional psikologis selama pandemi. Peneliti mengumpulkan sebanyak 222 orang mahasiswa di Indonesia yang tidak melakukan mudik saat pandemi. Hasil analisis regresi berganda menunjukkan adanya peran pengetahuan dan kecemasan mahasiswa rantau sebesar 26,1% terhadap sikap mencari bantuan profesional psikologis (p<0.05). Mahasiswa rantau memiliki pengetahuan COVID-19 dan sikap mencari bantuan yang tergolong sedang serta kecemasan yang tinggi. Para praktisi psikologi, dapat memanfaatkan sosial media untuk memberikan psikoedukasi terkait kesehatan mental dan memberikan konseling gratis guna meningkatkan sikap mahasiswa terhadap pencarian bantuan profesional. Pihak Perguruan Tinggi perlu melakukan screening awal kecemasan dan menyediakan layanan konseling bagi mahasiswanya. Pembentukan tim pendampingan psikologis dan peer counselor di kampus, juga dapat membantu mengatasi masalah kesehatan mental mahasiswa. Dalam mengurangi kecemasan, mahasiswa perlu membatasi konsumsi media sosial yang berlebihan dengan menggunakan bantuan fitur time lock atau digital well-being yang ada di smartphonenya.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of worries that lead to anxiety, especially for students from outside the region. Psychological professional assistance is also increasingly emerging to deal with mental health problems during a pandemic. This study aims to look at the role of knowledge about COVID-19 and the anxiety in seeking psychological professional help during a pandemic. Researchers collected 222 students in Indonesia who did not go home during pandemic. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the knowledge and anxiety of students from outside the region played a role in the attitude of seeking professional psychological help (p<0.05) of 26.1%. Students from outside the region have moderate knowledge of COVID-19 and an attitude of seeking help and high anxiety. Psychology practitioners can use social media to provide psychoeducation regarding mental health and provide free counseling to improve students' attitudes towards seeking professional help. Universities need to conduct an initial anxiety screening and provide counseling services for their students. Forming a team of psychological assistance and peer counselors on campus can also help address student mental health problems. In reducing anxiety, students need to limit excessive consumption of social media by using the time lock or digital well-being features on their smartphones.

Kata Kunci : pengetahuan, kecemasan, sikap mencari bantuan profesional, mahasiswa rantau, COVID-19