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Estimation of Psychological Impairment and Coping Strategies during COVID-19 Pandemic among University Students in Saudi Arabia: A Large Regional Analysis.
Mallhi, Tauqeer Hussain; Ahmad, Naveed; Salman, Muhammad; Tanveer, Nida; Shah, Shahid; Butt, Muhammad Hammad; Alatawi, Ahmed D; Alotaibi, Nasser Hadal; Rahman, Hidayat Ur; Alzarea, Abdulaziz Ibrahim; Alanazi, Abdullah Salah; Alzahrani, Mohammad Saeed; Alshehri, Sameer; Aljabri, Ahmed; Khan, Yusra Habib.
  • Mallhi TH; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
  • Ahmad N; Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
  • Salman M; Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
  • Tanveer N; Institute of Molecular Cardiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
  • Shah S; Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.
  • Butt MH; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
  • Alatawi AD; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alotaibi NH; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
  • Rahman HU; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alzarea AI; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alanazi AS; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alzahrani MS; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alshehri S; Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia.
  • Aljabri A; Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22254, Saudi Arabia.
  • Khan YH; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health ; 19(21)2022 Nov 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2099501
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures have substantially affected educational processes around the globe, resulting in psychological distress among students. The mental health of students in higher education is of paramount importance, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought this vulnerable population into renewed focus. In this context, the evaluation of students' mental health at educational institutes has gained invaluable popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to ascertain the psychological health and coping strategies among students from a higher education institute in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS:

An online study instrument was used to assess anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, GAD-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PHQ-9), post-traumatic stress disorder-PTSD (Impact of Event Scale-Revised, IES-R) and coping strategies (Brief-COPE). The severity of the psychological distress was classified as per the scoring criteria and correlated with demographics using appropriate statistical methods.

RESULTS:

Of 1074 students (age 21.1 ± 2.1 years), 12.9% and 9.7% had severe anxiety and depression, respectively. The mean anxiety and depression scores were 7.50 ± 5.51 and 9.31 ± 6.72, respectively. About one-third (32%) of students reported suicidal ideation, with 8.4% students having such thoughts nearly every day. The average PTSD score was 21.64 ± 17.63, where avoidance scored higher (8.10 ± 6.94) than intrusion and hyperarousal. There was no association of anxiety, depression and PTSD score with the demographics of the study participants. Religious/spiritual coping (5.43 ± 2.15) was the most adoptive coping mechanism, followed by acceptance (5.15 ± 2.10). Male students were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with active copings, instrumental support, planning, humor, acceptance and religious coping. Substance use was the least adopted coping strategy but practiced by a considerable number of students.

CONCLUSIONS:

The long-lasting pandemic situation, onerous protective measures and uncertainties in educational procedures have resulted in a high prevalence of psychological ailments among university students, as indicated in this study. These findings accentuate the urgent need for telepsychiatry and appropriate population-specific mental health services to assess the extent of psychological impairment and to leverage positive coping behaviors among students.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Psychiatry / Telemedicine / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Topics: Long Covid Limits: Adult / Humans / Male / Young adult Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Ijerph192114282

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Psychiatry / Telemedicine / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Topics: Long Covid Limits: Adult / Humans / Male / Young adult Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Ijerph192114282