Psychological Effect of COVID-19 among Nursing Students

Abstract

Objective: Novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) has not only brought the risk of morbidity and mortality but also psychological burden on individuals. The objective of the study was to assess psychological effect of COVID- 19 among nursing students of Patan Academy of Health Sciences School of Nursing and midwifery, Lalitpur, Nepal. Method: A cross sectional analytical study was conducted in July 2020 among 382 nursing students. Stress was assessed by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) 10 item scale, Anxiety level was assessed using Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale and depression with Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) 9 item scale. The total enumerative sampling technique was used for sample selection and data was collected by an online survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Result: The findings of the study revealed that that 278 (72.8%) nursing students had moderate level and 11 (2.9%) had high perceived stress, 202 (52.9%) had mild anxiety and only 8 (2.1%) had severe anxiety. Regarding depression, 220 (57.6%) did not have depressive symptoms and only 4 (1%) had severe depression. Significant mean difference in stress, anxiety and depression between PCL, BSc and BNS were found with p value <0.05 which indicated that PCL students were more likely to be stressed, anxious and depressed than B.Sc and BNS due to COVID 19. Conclusion: The survey revealed that the majority of nursing students had moderate level of stress, mild anxiety and no depressive symptoms during COVID 19. In order to improve the psychological status of students, the government and organizations should collaborate with educational institutions to ensure psychological support to the students. Key words: Anxiety, COVID 19, depression, nursing students, psychological effect, stress, students.

Do social and environmental factors affect level of stress during COVID-19 among nursing students? Results from single center cross-sectional study in Malaysia

“…Similar results were found in one study conducted in Turkey and Nepal where stress was prevalent among many nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. 14,15 In the current study, several factors were associated with increased stress level scores. The students who had been trapped in the hostel had higher stress scores.…”