The aim of the research is to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence and magnitude of mental health consequences among students at the University of Sarajevo, which manifest themselves in certain types and levels of psychological distress, as well as to examine various aspects of general mental functioning that are particularly important in an online learning and teaching environment. The research was conducted in July 2021 on a sample of 3439 students at the University of Sarajevo. The following measurement instruments were used: The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), a Stress Coping Strategies Inventory and a Sociodemographic Variables Questionnaire. The results have shown that depression, anxiety and stress were present among students at levels which require additional interventions. Symptoms are significantly more present among female students than among male students. The differences tested between students of distinct faculties indicate that arts students have the highest values of depression, followed by students studying humanities, while social sciences students show the lowest values. The results showed that positive coping with stress is a protective factor for the symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, while negative coping style is a risk factor for students' mental health. The obtained results suggest that the pandemic has a significant psychological impact on students that require interventions in improving their mental health.

Psychological pain is a social issue which is highly present in societies, and can accordingly have a significant negative effect on all aspects of a person's existence with particularly harmful consequences on chronic pain, thus increasing the possibility of developing comorbid psychiatric disorders. Clinicians often tend to label the appearance of psychological symptoms as a "normal" or usual response to physical ailments. Psychological pain or suffering is not only manifested on a psychological level, nonetheless, it is usually in a certain way immanent in the body itself. As regards the physical pain, there is an evident connection between awareness of the physical spot of pain in the body and the psychological experience of pain, which is not the case when it comes to emotional pain. The aim of this paper is to systematize and classify scientific findings and knowledge about psychological pain. The paper is based on the results of contemporary research in the field of psychology and other related sciences and scientific disciplines related to social and scientific issues. Psychological assessment of pain is of great importance due to the consequences it entails – including primarily the impaired physical and psychological integrity of a person, since the mind, reason, and emotions are mainly conditioned by the normal existence of the body. Psychological assessment of pain can have significant results in applied scientific research and modern social practice.