The Psychological Impact of Strict and Prolonged Confinement on Business Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Spanish University.

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to examine the situation of university students from one month after the beginning of a very strict confinement process in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students responded to a survey which included the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) together with other questions relating to their general well-being from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS). A total of 198 university students answered the web-based survey. The questionnaire was generated using Microsoft Forms and was explained and distributed online. The results indicated that around 18.7% of students were suffering from severe anxiety and 70.2% were suffering either mild or moderate anxiety at this point of the strict confinement process. The findings show that when emotional well-being (quality of sleep, the perception of feeling fear, death of a relative) is reduced and material well-being is negatively affected (income level) anxiety levels are increased. On the other hand, the results show that having good interpersonal relationships with family members and taking care of personal development (routines and habits that make them feel good) help reduce anxiety levels. The female students in the sample also suffered higher levels of anxiety than males during strict confinement.