ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study is an attempt to detect the psychological impact of (COVID-19) among Taif University students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Taif University students using Google Forms questionnaire in the period from May to December 2020. The questionnaire was designed to assess psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of the lockdown and curfew. 619 participants age ranged from 18-30 years were eligible to participate in this study. This study was carried out using well-structured electronic questionnaire contain socio-demographic characteristics and psychological health parameters (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21)). Results: This study revealed a significant correlation between age and depression;age 18-21 years old showed higher frequency of mild to moderate and severe to very severe depression than age 22-30 years old (p>0.003). Similarly, there was a significant correlation between age and stress among participants;age 18-21 years old, showed higher frequency of severe to very severe stress and anxiety compared to aged 22-30 years (p > 0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant correlation between gender, nationality and marital status. Regarding the type of education, there was a significant correlation between medical students and depression (p > 0.06). Conclusion: According to the obtained results, it can be concluded that there was a significant association between age, depression and stress and non- significant relation between gender, nationality and marital status, while there was a significant correlation between medical students and depression.
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the impact of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological status among Saudi adults, and whether physical activity modifies this association. The participants were 518 adults aged >=18 years (67.4% men). Using an online survey, data regarding demographic information, the impact of COVID-19 (assessed by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5), HRQoL (Short Form-8), psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), and physical activity behavior (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form) were collected. The results demonstrate that adults reporting moderate or high levels of impact of COVID-19 had a lower HRQoL and higher psychological distress than adults reporting a low impact. HRQoL was higher for adults reporting any level impact (low, moderate, or high) of COVID-19 when they participated in recommended levels of physical activity (>=600 metabolic equivalent (MET)-min/week of total physical activity). Psychological distress was lower for adults reporting a high level of impact when they participated in recommended physical activity. Moderate or high levels of impact of COVID-19 were associated with a significantly lower HRQoL and higher psychological distress than the low impact of COVID-19. However, these associations were moderated by the recommended levels of physical activity.