Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on University Students at Karachi, Pakistan

Authors

  • Mr. Muhammad Rahies Khan
  • Prof. Dr. Bashir Ahmad
  • Dr. Muhammad Habib

Keywords:

Psychological impact, COVID-19, University, anxiety, students

Abstract

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world has shaken the economic and social sectors of life. The pandemic has not only affected these sectors but also endorsed intolerable psychological pressure on the public including the students. In this study, data was collected from university students of Karachi, Pakistan through cluster sampling using a convenience sampling technique. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) with 7 items along with inquiry about basic information was used to assess the anxiety level of students. A total of 299 valid questionnaires were received. The results showed that 33.70% of the participants experienced mild anxiety, 19.53% experienced moderate and 18.36% experienced severe anxiety. Results of ordinal logistics regression analysis showed that students living in the district east and students staying with parents were considered protected against anxiety. Fear of COVID-19 was considered as a risk factor to enhance anxiety. Pearson correlation analysis results indicated that economic effects and their influence on daily life and delay in academic activities are positively associated with anxiety levels. On the other hand, social support was negatively associated with anxiety levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has adverse effects on the mental health of the students. This study provides implications to the policymakers that the student’s mental health needs to be given priority through effective and comprehensive psychological therapy and multiple anxieties coping and solution-seeking campaigns.

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Published

2021-08-18