Mental Health Issues Amongst University Students During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Syed Imran Ali Abdi^1*, Faisal Rahmatullah¹, Nabeelah Ismail¹, Faraaz Ismail¹, and Anusha Sreejith²

Abstract

Mental health issues amongst University students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study assessed the prevalence of and determined the factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression (SAD) levels as well as academic performance among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to this, the study determined the students’ perception of online learning strategies. A cross-sectional study was performed at the Medical University in Ajman (Ajman, United Arab Emirates) which included 367 students, aged 18 and above, from several degree programmes; over the course of 6 months. A self-administered questionnaire was used. In addition, the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS 21) was used. The study was approved by the IRB and informed consent was taken from all participants. Students above the age of 18 are more likely to experience severe depression. The highest prevalence of SAD was found in participants in their third year of study. The lowest prevalence of SAD was found in the fifth year of the study. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of SAD across the different sampled programmes. Anxiety was the most prevalent issue among all students. Online learning was reported to have a negative impact on the learning experience so in-person classes were preferred. There has been a decrease in productivity since the onset of the pandemic along with a decline in efficiency and academic performance. 4.8% of participants experienced extremely severe stress. 32.3% of participants experienced extremely severe anxiety. 14.8% of participants experienced extremely severe depression. Extremely severe depression was prevalent at 5.2% for those below the age of 20; and at 8.7% for those above the age of 20 (P<0.05). Indeed, by this, it is recommended that students are provided with the necessary psychological support and aid; and strategies combating SAD should be implemented.

Keywords

stress; anxiety; depression; covid-19; academic performance.

Cite This Article

Abdi, S. I. A., Rahmatullah, F., Ismail, N., Ismail, F., Sreejith, A. (2025). Mental Health Issues Amongst University Students During The COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Scientific Advances (IJSCIA), Volume 6| Issue 1: Jan-Feb 2025, Pages 184-207 URL: https://www.ijscia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Volume6-Issue1-Jan-Feb-No.841-184-207.pdf

Volume 6 | Issue 1: Jan – Feb 2025