ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Psychological morbidity has been documented in medical and pharmaceutical undergraduate students in different countries around the world. In this study, we examined the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) home quarantine on the depressive psychological aspects of last-grade pharmacy students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted by the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Deraya University, Egypt. Two hundred and sixty-eight last-grade pharmacy students were included in this study, and they completed a self-administered, pre-designed, anonymous questionnaire. The main outcome measures were the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HRS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which were measured to screen for the symptoms of psychological depression and determine the degree of depression severity between the beginning and the end of the COVID-19 home quarantine period. Data entry and analysis were done using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 26. Descriptive statistics were employed for analyses of the data, and categorical variables were described by frequencies and percentages. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to examine relations between demographic data and psychological scales. The study protocol was approved by the Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University Ethical Committee. RESULTS: A total of 268 students participated in this study (102 males and 166 females). The mean ± SD score of baseline HRS and HRS at the end of the study was 6.3 ± 4.45, 7.95 ± 5.36, respectively, with the presence of a statistically significant difference between the two scores (p < 0.001). The mean ± SD score of baseline PHQ-9 and PHQ-9 at the end of the study was 4.35 ± 3.45, 5.37 ± 4.14, respectively, with the presence of a statistically significant difference between the two scores (p < 0.001). The results showed that the COVID-19 home quarantine period led to a depressive psychological effect on the students in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Students' psychological depression causes morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Psychological depressive problems were significantly associated with the COVID-19 home quarantine period, which calls for early intervention to solve it. Student counselling services must be more accessible and affordable to overcome this problem.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the viewpoints of the faculty members about digital learning at Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) during COVID pandemic. Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out during August 2020 among 89 faculty members of RMU with diverse designation. Data were collected by using digitally administered Google forms based on 5 point likert scale through convenience sampling. Information was gathered regarding perceived advantages and key troubles faced in smooth execution of online teaching. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 25.0. Results: Of the total 89 faculty members, 30.4% were demonstrators, 23.6% Senior Registrars and 21.3% Assistant Professors. About 87% faculty agreed with adequate curriculum coverage during online teaching, 84% found MS Teams interface user friendly while 82% conveniently generated link for their online class. About 38% faculty confronted with internet connectivity issues while 40% were satisfied with students’ response during online class. Only 22% respondents agreed with impartiality of online assessments and judgment of competencies. Conclusion: Digital learning greatly facilitated in academic continuity during pandemic. However, provision of broad band internet facility, making sessions interactive and using diverse online assessment modalities can be helpful to much extent in justified appraisal of clinical competencies. © 2022, Pakistan Medical Association. All rights reserved.