Intervention to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress in Mexican university students during the pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: University students suffer psychological alterations during confinement due to COVID-19, that need to be addressed to in a timely manner to avoid further complications. Objective: Determine the effect of a brief online intervention to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Quasi-experimental-longitudinal design (pretest-posttest and one follow-up) of experimental and control group, 44 male and female university students between 18 and 24 years old were selected through a non-probabilistic intentional sampling, who answered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale in three times of evaluation. A brief online intervention based on psychoeducation and cognitive-behavioral techniques was carried out to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Group data was analyzed with Friedman's non-parametric test and the clinical-objective-change was calculated individually. Results: There were no significant differences in the two groups at the three time of evaluation (x2r; gl = 2; p > 0.05), but when analyzing the clinical-objective-change in the experimental group, it was determined that between the pretest-posttest and pretest-follow up, 40,7 % y 37,0 % of the participants, presented a positive clinical-objective-change in anxiety. For depression, was also positive in 25,9% y 18,5 %; and in stress was of 11,1 % y 33,3 %, we can appreciate in this last variable an increase in the student´s percentage with a positive change through time. Conclusion: Brief online intervention reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

• ansiedad
• covid-19
• salud mental.