Anxiety levels among Palestinian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. 2022

Eqbal Radwan, and Afnan Radwan, and Etimad Alattar, and Walaa Radwan, and Mohammed Alajez
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.

The widespread of COVID-19 causes serious distress on the mental health of the students during the lockdown period. The present study aimed to identify anxiety levels among students during the COVID-19 crisis. A cross-sectional web-based survey was carried out among university students aged 18-47 years. The 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used to assess anxiety symptoms. Among the 1252 participants, the mean age was 28.82 (±7.28) years and 72.6% were female. Based on the results, 22.0% of the participants had no symptoms of anxiety, 25.2% had mild anxiety, 29.6% moderate anxiety, and 23.2% severe anxiety. Moreover, being a female (OR = 0.480, 95% CI = 0.257-0.704), younger age (OR = 0.359, 95% CI = 0.132-0.586), undergraduate level (OR = 0.493, 95% CI = 0.288-0.698), and stability of monthly income (OR = 0.516, 95% CI = 0.308-0.723) were found to be a protective factor against anxiety suffered by the participants. However, having a COVID-19-infected relative or acquaintance was a risk factor for anxiety (OR = 21.870, 95% CI = 21.870-21.870). The results revealed that the level of anxiety symptoms was positively associated with COVID-19 related stressors such as effects on daily living (r = 0.163, p < 0.001), economic stressors (r = 0.153, p < 0.001), and educational consequences (r = 0.150, p < 0.001), however, social support (r = 0.472, p < 0.001) was negatively associated with the anxiety. The psychological status of university students should be followed during times of health emergencies. It is essential to design a health program for influenced students to assist them to stay resilient throughout perilous situations.

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