ABSTRACT
Objective: This study aims to determine the prevalence of stress and depression among pharmacy students, evaluate their health related quality of life (HRQoL) in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted among pharmacy students at eight universities from March to May 2020 across Malaysia. Instruments adopted in the survey included perceived stress scale 4 (PSS-4) for stress, patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression and WHOQOL-BREF for health related quality of life. Results: A total of 441 students participated in the study. The overall PSS-4 score mean was 7.30 and the differences in PHQ-9 scores mean between public and private universities were not significant. A positive correlation was observed between total PSS-4 scores and PHQ-9 scores. Only 24.5% of pharmacy students reported a good quality of life, with a median score of 96.00. A Significant negative correlation was found between stress and depression against the quality of life. Conclusions: Stress and depression play a significant role in deteriorating the quality of life of pharmacy students. This highlighted the importance of future research in developing useful interventions to improve the quality of life of university students, especially students from the medical and health science fields.
ABSTRACT
Summary: Due to the threat of COVID-19, universities across Malaysia are facing decisions about how to continue teaching and learning whilst keeping their faculty, staff, and students safe from a public health emergency that is fast moving and not well understood. Monash University Malaysia is no exception and have opted to cancel all face-to-face classes, including laboratory and other learning experiences, and have mandated that faculty move their units online to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Approaches as well as the remedial measures undertaken by the School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, with regards to teaching and learning (T&L) activities during and beyond the execution of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia are discussed below.
ABSTRACT
Due to the threat of COVID-19, universities across Malaysia are facing decisions about how to continue teaching and learning whilst keeping their faculty, staff, and students safe from a public health emergency that is fast moving and not well understood. Monash University Malaysia is no exception and have opted to cancel all face-to-face classes, including laboratory and other learning experiences, and have mandated that faculty move their units online to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Approaches as well as the remedial measures undertaken by the School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, with regards to teaching and learning (T&L) activities during and beyond the execution of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia are discussed below.