Psychological responses during the COVID-19 outbreak among university students in Bangladesh

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many individuals, including university students typically at a developmental stage of emerging adulthood, and facing disruptions to their education. University students may be particularly vulnerable to the mental health sequelae of the current COVID-19-related lockdown in Bangladesh. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress and associated factors among university students in Bangladesh early in the COVID-19 outbreak. An internet-based survey was conducted from April 11 to April 24, 2020, involving 3,122 Bangladeshi university students aged 18 to 29 years (59.5% males; mean age 21.4±2 years). After providing informed consent, participants completed an internet-based survey assessing socio-demographic and personal lifestyle-related measures. The DASS-21 scale assessed depression, anxiety, and stress symptomatology. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. Prevalence estimates of depression, anxiety, and stress were 62.9%, 63.6%, and 58.6%, respectively. These rates tended to be higher than in previous surveys in the student population, particularly for the dimensions of stress and depression. Also, the pattern of associations with risk and demographic variables had shifted compared to previous work, suggesting situational impact on these. Depression, anxiety, and stress were prevalent among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic situation in April 2020 in Bangladesh. Although a causal relationship cannot be established, the findings suggest that monitoring and support programs may be useful to help students cope with the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Prevalence and correlates of anxiety and depression in frontline healthcare workers treating people with COVID-19 in Bangladesh

“…In the present study, anxiety and depression were significantly higher among participants who did not engage in physical exercising compared to those who did, which is similar to prior studies conducted in Bangladesh among university students [37,38]. HCWs who smoked cigarettes were more likely to be anxious and depressed than were non-smokers, which consistent with previous studies [43][44][45].…”

“…The extent to which the findings represent cultural differences, differences in healthcare systems, and their responses during the COVID-19 pandemic, instruments used to assess anxiety and depression or other factors warrants additional investigation. Females were more likely to experience anxiety and depression, similar to a prior study conducted in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 [37]. However, the findings contrast with those from a study among university students, showed no gender differences [38].…”

Immediate psychological responses during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic among Bangladeshi medical students

“…Depressive symptoms was comparatively prevalent to a lower extent (49.9%), where 26.6% of students scored 8-10, as having symptoms of mild depressive symptoms in HADS sub-scale. These findings are in line with another contemporary Bangladeshi study that found 63.6% and 62.9% of university students were anxious and having depressive symptoms respectively by using the DASS-21 questionnaire (Islam et al, 2020). Surprisingly, study findings of Islam et al, (2020) challenged our assumption of higher depression and anxiety prevalence in medical students, however, it is possible that COVID-19 may have a similar psychological impact on all university students.…”

“…These findings are in line with another contemporary Bangladeshi study that found 63.6% and 62.9% of university students were anxious and having depressive symptoms respectively by using the DASS-21 questionnaire (Islam et al, 2020). Surprisingly, study findings of Islam et al, (2020) challenged our assumption of higher depression and anxiety prevalence in medical students, however, it is possible that COVID-19 may have a similar psychological impact on all university students. Alternatively, usage of different scales while measuring anxiety and depression level may cause variance in the study findings.…”

Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors in the Bangladeshi population during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online cross-sectional survey

“…This survey was conducted during a 10-day period, while the number of newly diagnosed cases was increasing in Bangladesh, and during which, substantial restrictions that included spatial distancing, home quarantine, social isolation, and travel restriction were in place. In a prior study focused on mental health conducted earlier during the outbreak in Bangladesh, we reported that 55.3% participants did not engage in physical exercise while in home quarantine, and 33.9% browsed internet more than 6 h per day [ 39 ]. We also reported that those individuals who reported vulnerable mental states (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) were significantly more likely not to engage in physical exercise and to browse the internet for longer periods of time.…”