Academic loss-related anxiety among college students during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The global outbreak of SARS-CoV2, initially affecting few individuals in Wuhan city of China, is now devastating millions of lives. Among all, students face substantial challenges, mainly in academic losses due to the imposed lockdown that may be detrimental to their mental well-being. Our study aimed to identify the anxiety levels among university students undergoing training in various disciplines. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study. General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale within a semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess students' anxiety levels about their academic loss. RESULTS: A total of 507 students from India participated in the survey. Eventually, the prevalence of students experiencing anxiety was significantly high, and approximately 25% of the students reported moderate to severe anxiety levels. This emphasizes the need for psychological support to the students through various means to develop innovative solutions to handle the crisis. CONCLUSION: Moreover, the lowest prevalence of anxiety among healthcare sciences students leads us to conclude that this population is well prepared mentally and hence should be the first choice of the future resort if the need arises to aid the current healthcare workforce.

Keywords

• academic loss
• anxiety
• covid-19
• lockdown
• pandemic
• students