Open AccessDepression and Anxiety among University Students: A Comparison between COVID-19 Pandemic Panic Period and Post-panic Period in Bangladesh
Author(s) -
Gowranga Kumar Paul,
Mohammad Meshbahur Rahman,
Shayla Naznin,
Mashfiqul Huq Chowdhury,
Jamal Uddin
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
open access macedonian journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.288
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 1857-9655
DOI - 10.3889/oamjms.2022.7559
Subject(s) - panic , anxiety , depression (economics) , medicine , panic disorder , psychiatry , pandemic , cross sectional study , clinical psychology , covid-19 , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , macroeconomics
BACKGROUND: In Bangladesh, the rapid spread of COVID-19 virus created a panic situation among the citizen. Specially, the psycho-emotional disorder of the university students is increasing which has not been adequately investigated.AIM: Relating this, the study aimed to assess the psycho-emotional changes of the university students through investigating their level of depression and anxiety during panic and post-panic period of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.METHOD: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among the university students in Bangladesh from April to July 2020 (panic period, n = 170) and then from August to November 2020 (post-panic period, n = 170). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaires were used to assess the depression and anxiety levels of the students, respectively. Various univariate and multivariable statistical techniques were used to analyze the data.RESULTS: The proportion of depression symptoms was 49.4% and 52.4% during the panic period and post-panic period, respectively. Anxiety symptoms were experienced by 38.2% of students during the panic period, and the percentage was nearly identical in the post-panic interval. In post-panic period, depression levels found a slight increase. Urban students reported significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of depression and anxiety than their counterparts. Female students also exhibited significantly more anxiety symptoms (p < 0.002) than male. Depression symptoms significantly varied by family types and student’s place of residence.CONCLUSIONS: This study compared the depression and anxiety symptoms of the university students during two periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the difference was small, it remains an issue for the university students in Bangladesh due to the disruption to their academic lives.