Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia and the subsequent closure of all educational institutions. We aimed to examine the psychological impact of the MCO among clinical undergraduates. A cross-sectional study was conducted using self-reported questionnaires that were distributed online using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS 21), Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), and the newly designed MCO effect questionnaire. Seven hundred seventy-two students completed the survey. The prevalence of psychological distress was 52.8%, with around 60% of respondents reporting disruption to their daily lives. Older (p = 0.015) and more senior students (p < 0.001) were less likely to be anxious than their younger and junior counterparts, respectively. A greater number of social support (three or more) was linked to a lower score of depression (p = 0.005) and stress (p = 0.045). Undergraduates who received family support demonstrated lower depression scores (p = 0.037) and higher mental wellbeing (p = 0.020) compared to those without. Government support was independently associated with a lesser risk of depressive symptoms (Adjusted odds ratio, AOR 0.68; 95% confidence interval, CI 0.47–0.99) and a greater sense of mental wellbeing (AOR 1.54; 95% CI 1.06–2.22). The present finding provides evidence of a high prevalence of psychological distress among clinical undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Appropriate social support is important in alleviating anxiety and stress and promoting greater mental wellbeing amongst students during the nationwide quarantine.
Highlights
The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been deemed a global health emergency [1]
We found that students with a greater amount of social support (3 or more) had a lower score for depression (p = 0.005) and stress (p = 0.045) (Table 1)
We found that the students above the age of 25 demonstrated a lower level of anxiety and stress during Movement Control Order (MCO)
Summary
The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been deemed a global health emergency [1]. There were around 42 million cases diagnosed worldwide, with over one million recorded deaths [2]. Malaysia alone had approximately twenty-six thousand confirmed cases with a mortality rate of 0.86% [3]. Several public health agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued advice on preventing further spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing, hand hygiene, and the use of face masks [4,5]. Many countries, including Malaysia, have imposed stringent movement restrictions. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8522; doi:10.3390/ijerph17228522 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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