Increased anxiety levels in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic season

Authors

Keywords:

coronavirus, COVID-19, anxiety, university students, pandemic.

Abstract

Introduction: In the presence of COVID-19, the World Health Organization declared it a global pandemic, affecting various sectors of the population, including education.
Objective: To establish the correlation between COVID-19 and anxiety in psychology and nursing students.
Methods: A quantitative, exploratory, descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional study was carried out. The population was 66 students from the psychology and nursing careers of the Private Technical University of Loja. We worked with a sample of 66 students of which 28,8 % were men and 71,2 % were women, through an accidental non-probabilistic sampling, with a mean age of 20,21 years, at whom applied a pre- and post-test of the Manifest Anxiety scale for AMAS-C university students.
Results: It was found that the anxiety measures of the pre and post-test follow a normal distribution. Regarding the final anxiety of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase of 2,59 points was observed, in regards to the pre-test mean M = 24,74 before confinement.
Conclusions: COVID-19 and the confinement of university students have increased their anxiety levels.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Preguntas y respuestas sobre la enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19). OMS; 2020. [acceso: 08/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/es/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/q-a-coronaviruses

2. Samaniego A, Urzúa A, Buenahora M, Vera-Villarroel P. Sintomatología asociada a trastornos de Salud Mental en trabajadores sanitarios en Paraguay: efecto
COVID-19. Interam J Psychol. 2020 [acceso: 08/08/2020]; 54(1): e1208. DOI: 10.30849/ripijp. v54i1.1298

3. García-Iglesias J, Gómez-Salgado J, Martín-Pereira J, Fagundo-Rivera J, Ayuso-Murillo D, Martínez-Riera JR, et al. Impacto del SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) en la salud mental de los profesionales sanitarios: una revisión sistemática. Rev Esp Salud Publica. 2020 [acceso: 08/08/2020]; 24:1-20. Disponible en: https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/108234/1/Garcia-Iglesias_etal_2020_RevEspSaludPublica.pdf

4. Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, Ren L, Zhao J, Hu Y, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet. 2020
[acceso: 08/08/2020]; 395(10223):497-506. DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30183-5

5. Li Q, Guan X, Wu P, Wang X, Zhou L, Tong Y, et al. Early transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China, of novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 2020 [acceso: 08/08/2020]; 382(13):1199-1207. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001316

6. Shang J, Ye G, Shi K, Wan Y, Luo C, Aihara H, et al. Structural basis of receptor recognition by SARS-CoV-2. Nature. 2020 [acceso: 08/08/2020]; 581:221-224. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2179-y

7. Chan W, Yuan S, Kok H, To W, Chu H, Yang J, et al. A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster. Lancet. 2020 [acceso: 08/08/2020]; 395(10223):514-523. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30154-9

8. Huarcaya-Victoria J. Consideraciones sobre la salud mental en la pandemia de COVID-19. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2020 [acceso: 08/08/2020]; 37(2):327-334. DOI:10.17843/rpmesp.2020.372.5419

9. Kang L, Ma S, Chen M, Yang J, Wang Y, Li R, et al. Impact on mental health and perceptions of psychological care among medical and nursing staff in Wuhan during the 2019 novel coronavirus disease outbreak: A cross-sectional study. Brain Behav Immun. 2020 [acceso: 08/08/2020]; 87(1): [aprox. 7 p.]. DOI:10.1016/j.bbi.2020.03.028

10. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Novel coronavirus - China. OMS; 2020.
[acceso: 12/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/es/

11. Ornell F, Schuch B, Sordi O, Kessler P. "Pandemic fear" and COVID-19: Mental health burden and strategies. Rev Bras Psiquiatr. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 42(3):232-235. DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0008

12. Torales J, O'Higgins M, Castaldelli-Maia M, Ventriglio A. The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health. Int. J. Soc. Psychiatr. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 6(44):317-320. DOI: 10.1177/0020764020915212

13. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Declaración sobre la segunda reunión del Comité de Emergencias del Reglamento Sanitario ‎Internacional (2005) acerca del brote del nuevo coronavirus (2019-nCoV). OMS; 2020. [acceso: 12/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/detail/30-01-2020-statement-on-the-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)

14. Adhanom Ghebreyesus T. Alocución de apertura del Director General de la OMS en la rueda de prensa sobre COVID-19 celebrada el 11 de marzo de 2020. OMS; 2020. [acceso: 12/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/es/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020

15. Camacho-Cardenosa A, Camacho-Cardenosa M, Merellano-Navarro E, Trapé A, Brazo-Sayavera J. Influencia de la actividad física realizada durante el confinamiento en la pandemia del Covid-19 sobre el estado psicológico de adultos: un protocolo de estudio. Rev Esp Salud Pública. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 94(12):1-9. Disponible en: https://www.mscbs.gob.es/biblioPublic/publicaciones/recursos_propios/-resp/revista_cdrom/VOL94/PROTOCOLOS/RS94C_202006063.pdf

16. Filipe J. Epidemics and Pandemics: Covid-19 and the "The Drop of Honey Effect". Int. J. Econ. Bus. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 8(2):240-249. DOI:10.35808/ijeba/456

17. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. La OMS caracteriza a COVID-19 como una pandemia. OPS; 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id-=15756:who-characterizes-covid-19-as-a-pandemic&Itemid=1926&lang=es

18. Danylyshyn B. The peculiarities of economic crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic in a developing country: case of Ukraine. Problems and Perspectives in Management. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 18(2):13-22. DOI:10.21511/ppm.18(2).2020.02

19. Bennett J, Finkbeiner M, Ban C, Belhabib D, Jupiter D, Kittinger N, et al. The COVID-19 Pandemic, Small-Scale Fisheries and Coastal Fishing Communities. Coast. Manage. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 48(4):336-347. DOI:10.1080/08920753.2020.1766937

20. Wilder-Smith A, Freedman O. Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. J Travel Med. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 27(2):1-4. DOI:10.1093/jtm/taaa020

21. Pecanha T, Goessler F, Roschel H, Gualano B. Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic can increase physical inactivity and the global burden of cardiovascular disease. 2020. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol.2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 318(6):H1441-H1446. DOI:10.1152/ajpheart.00268.2020

22. Arries J, Maposa S. Cardiovascular risk factors among prisoners: an integrative review. J Forensic Nurs. 2013 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 9(1):52-64. DOI:10.1097/JFN.0b013e31827a59ef

23. Belavý L, Gast U, Daumer M, Fomina E, Rawer R, Schießl H, et al. Progressive adaptation in physical activity and neuromuscular performance during 520d confinement. PLoS One. 2013 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 8(3): [aprox. 7 p.]. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0060090

24. Donthu N, Gustafsson A. Effects of COVID-19 on business and research. Journal of Business Research. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 117: 284-289. DOI:10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.008

25. Laing T. The economic impact of the Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-2019): Implications for the mining industry. Extr Ind Soc. 2020 [acceso: 12/08/2020]; 7(2):580-582. DOI:10.1016/j.exis.2020.04.003

26. Nicola M, Alsafi Z, Sohrabi C, Kerwan A, Al-Jabir A, Iosifidis C, et al. The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. Int J Surg. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]; 78(1):85-193. DOI:10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.018

27. Dalton L, Rapa E, Stein A. Protecting the psychological health of children through effective communication about COVID-19. Lancet Child Adolesc Health.
[acceso: 13/08/2020]; 4(5):346-347. DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30097-3

28. Asmundson J, Taylor S. Coronaphobia: Fear and the 2019-nCoV outbreak. J Anxiety Disord. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]; 70(1): [aprox. 7 p.]. DOI:10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102196

29. Brooks K, Webster K, Smith E, Woodland L, Wessely S, Greenberg N, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]; 395(10227): 912-920. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8

30. Jiao Y, Wang N, Liu J, Fang F, Jiao Y, Pettoello-Mantovani M, et al. Behavioral and emotional disorders in children during the COVID-19 epidemic. J Pediatr. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]; 221(1):264-266. DOI:10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.03.013

31. Lewnard A, Lo C. Scientific and ethical basis for social-distancing interventions against COVID-19. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]; 20(6):631-633. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30190-0

32. Rogers P, Chesney E, Oliver D, Pollak A, McGuire P, Fusar-Poli P, et al. Psychiatric and neuropsychiatric presentations associated with severe coronavirus infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis with comparison to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]:1-17. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30203-0

33. Chen Q, Liang M, Li Y, Guo J, Fei D, Wang L, et al. Mental health care for medical staff in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet Psychiatry 2020
[acceso: 13/08/2020]; 7(4):15-16. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30078-X

34. Wang G, Zhang Y, Zhao J, Zhang J, Jiang F. Mitigate the effects of home confinement on children during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet. 2020
[acceso: 12/08/2020]; 395(10228):945-7. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30547-X

35. Armitage R, Nellums B. Considering inequalities in the school closure response to COVID-19. Lancet Glob Health. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]; 8(5):1. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X (20)30116-9

36. Fegert M, Vitiello B, Plener L, Clemens V. Challenges and burden of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for child and adolescent mental health: a narrative review to highlight clinical and research needs in the acute phase and the long return to normality. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]; 14(1):1-11. DOI: 10.1186/s13034-020-00329-3

37. De Guzman M, Pastor C, Estira K, Ventayen R, David C. Source of stress and cope up mechanism of college students during the lockdown and extreme community quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic. JCR. 2020 [acceso: 13/08/2020]; 7(12):824-825. DOI:10.31838/jcr.07.12.145

38. Sahoo S, Rani S, Shah R, Singh P, Mehra A, Grover S. COVID-19 pandemic-related anxiety in teenagers. Indian J Psychiatry. 2020 62(3):328-330. DOI: 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_327_20

39. Pastor L. Sentiment analysis of Filipinos and effects of extreme community quarantine due to coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. JCR. 2020 [acceso: 14/08/2020]; 7(7):91-95. DOI:10.31838/jcr.07.07.15

40. Wang C, Pan R, Wan X, Tan Y, Xu L, Ho S, et al. Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 [acceso: 14/08/2020]; 17(5):1-25. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17051729

41. Lee J. Mental health effects of school closures during COVID-19. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2020 [acceso: 14/08/2020]; 4(6):1. DOI:10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30109-7

42. Araújo de O, de Lima A, Cidade M, Nobre B, Neto R. Impact of Sars-Cov-2 and its reverberation in global higher education and mental health. Psychiatry Res. 2020 [acceso: 14/08/2020]; 288(1): [aprox. 2 p.]. DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112977

43. Taylor S. The psychology of pandemics: Preparing for the next global outbreak of infectious disease. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2019. [acceso: 15/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://books.google.com.ec/books?id=8mq1DwAAQBAJ

44. Asmundson J, Taylor S. How health anxiety influences responses to viral outbreaks like COVID-19: What all decision-makers, health authorities, and health care professionals need to know. J Anxiety Disord. 2020 [acceso: 15/08/2020]; 71(1): [aprox. 7 p.]. DOI:10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102211

45. Asmundson J, Abramowitz S, Richter A, Whedon M. Health anxiety: current perspectives and future directions. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2010 [acceso: 15/08/2020]; 12(4):306-312. DOI: 10.1007/s11920-010-0123-9

46. Taylor S, Asmundson G. Treating health anxiety: A cognitive-behavioral approach. Ilustrada. New York: Guilford Press; 2004 [acceso: 17/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://books.google.com.ec/books?id=kTnMwGTGRqQC

47. Kosic A, Lindholm P, Järvholm K, Hedman-Lagerlöf E, Axelsson E. Three decades of increase in health anxiety: Systematic review and meta-analysis of birth cohort changes in university student samples from 1985 to 2017. J Anxiety Disord. 2020 [acceso: 17/08/2020]; 71(1): [aprox. 12 p.]. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102208

48. Pappa S, Ntella V, Giannakas T, Giannakoulis G, Papoutsi E, Katsaounou P. Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Behav Immun. 2020 [acceso: 17/08/2020]; 77(1): [aprox. 7 p.]. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.026

49. Bao Y, Sun Y, Meng S, Shi J, Lu L. 2019-nCoV epidemic: address mental health care to empower society. Lancet. 2020 [acceso: 17/08/2020]; 395(10224):e37-e38. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30309-3

50. Kmietowicz Z. Rules on isolation rooms for suspected covid-19 cases in GP surgeries to be relaxed. BMJ. 2020 [acceso: 17/08/2020]; 368(1): m707. DOI:10.1136/bmj.m707

51. Xiao C. A novel approach of consultation on 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)-related psychological and mental problems: structured letter therapy. Psychiatry Investig. 2020 [acceso: 17/08/2020]; 17(2):175-176. DOI:10.30773/pi.2020.0047

52. Cao W, Fang Z, Hou G, Han M, Xu X, Dong J, et al. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Res. 2020 [acceso: 17/08/2020]; 287(1): [aprox. 7 p.]. DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934

53. Mukhtar S. Psychological health during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic outbreak. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2020 [acceso: 17/08/2020]; 66(5):512-516. DOI:10.1177/0020764020925835

54. Reynolds C, Richmond B, Lowe P. Escala de Ansiedad Manifiesta en Adultos-AMAS. México: Manual Moderno; 2007.

55. Ministerio de Salud. Gobierno de la República del Ecuador. Estado de Emergencia Sanitaria en el Sistema Nacional de Salud. (13 de marzo, 2020). Acuerdo Ministerial No 00126-2020. [acceso: 22/08/2020]. Disponible en: http://www.cepweb.com.ec/novedades/salud/salud-3.pdf

56. World Medical Association. Declaración de Helsinki de la AMM. Principios éticos para las investigaciones médicas en seres humanos. 2014. [acceso: 22/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://www.wma.net/es/policies-post/declaracion-de-helsinki-de-la-amm-principios-eticos-para-las-investigaciones-medicas-en-seres-humanos/

57. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Panel de la OMS sobre la enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19). OMS; 2020. [acceso: 22/08/2020]. Disponible en: https://covid19.who.int/

Published

2021-02-27

How to Cite

1.
Sigüenza Campoverde W, Vilchez JL. Increased anxiety levels in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic season. Rev Cubana Med Milit [Internet]. 2021 Feb. 27 [cited 2025 Feb. 5];50(1):e0210931. Available from: https://revmedmilitar.sld.cu/index.php/mil/article/view/931

Issue

Section

Research Article

Similar Articles

1 2 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.