Psychological Health and its Correlates during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Pakistan: A Survey of Undergraduate Students

Abstract

With the outbreak of a global pandemic, people were faced with many difficulties such as financial and health issues, including psychological problems. There was a sharp rise in mental health issues as people were advised to observe social distancing resulting in social isolation. The present study examined three measures of psychological distress among the undergraduate student population: depression, anxiety, and stress. It also sought to study differences in academic years and gender on measures of psychological distress. A convenient and snowball sample of 1032 undergraduate students, aged between 17 and 25 years (M=21.81, SD = 1.99), filled out a survey. DASS – 21 was used to collect data on depression, anxiety, and stress among students. Descriptive statistics showed mild to normal levels of stress (M = 9.64), anxiety (M = 8.17) and depression (M = 9.05). Independent t-tests revealed significantly higher levels of psychological distress among women compared to men. Further, a one-way ANOVA and post hoc analyses showed that only juniors had significantly higher levels of stress compared to freshmen. Factors such as social support and religion have been discussed as possible explanations for lower levels of psychological distress in the overall student population. This research highlights resilience among students and future research should focus on investigating the factors which can help in dealing with difficult situations.