Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among a population of exact and natural science university students from Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP)-México under COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, we explored influencing factors pertaining to the online learning environment at home. A total of 502 college students; 192 men (38.2%) and 310 women (61.8%) participated in this cross-sectional web-based survey. A Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (GADS) standardized e-questionnaire was generated using Google Forms, and the link was shared through email. The data collection process was conducted during voluntary COVID-19 lockdown during the second university semester (October-November, 2020) and before the final exams period. The data recovered was analyzed in three consecutive levels, including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis. The college students experienced high levels of anxiety and depression. The sampled population of men and women was 75.5% and 92.3% respectively measured positive for anxiety, whereas depression was measured at 63.5% and 78.4% respectively. Factors influencing at-home e-learning such as internet connection quality, internet cost, status of owning or sharing a PC, inhabitants per household and length of academic program completed were correlated positively with high prevalence (>60%) of anxiety and depression among students. Based on the reported results, we suggest that both the university authorities and government could work together to address these high levels of anxiety and depression to reduce their impact among university students with the ultimate goal of achieving optimal learning during lockdown conditions.
Highlights
Since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged, and after its declaration as a global pandemic, all governments around the world have taken severe public health actions to contain the epidemic and to reduce mortality
It has been reported that undergraduate students had unsatisfactory learning associated with anxiety and depression relating to the COVID-19 lockdown (Rodríguez-Hidalgo et al, 2020)
Our results showed that anxiety and depression levels in both men and women college students were higher during COVID-19 lockdown (Table 1) in comparison to data reported deprived of COVID-19 (González-Benítez et al, 2020)
Summary
Since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged, and after its declaration as a global pandemic, all governments around the world have taken severe public health actions to contain the epidemic and to reduce mortality. The government, in harmonization with the Mexican Ministry of Health implemented a series of preventions, actions and infection control strategies, including restriction of mass-gathering events, social healthy distance, interruption of “nonessential activities”, transition to the use of the home office in all economic sectors, and the recommendation of home confinement for the general population (SECGOB, ACUERDO-b, 2020). In this context, all academic institutions were required to discontinue face-to-face teaching practices. Data from college students have shown an increase in worries for their education, and for their well-being, and that of their families as a result of their return home due to suspended in-person academic training (Zhai & Du, 2020)
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