Students' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted educational institutions to close down worldwide. This unprecedented step led to a feeling of anxiety in the student community that encountered obstacles in shifting to an online education mode. Saudi Arabia also followed these steps to minimize...

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Main Author: Abdullah M AL-Shahrani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
Series:Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2021;volume=10;issue=9;spage=3192;epage=3197;aulast=AL-Shahrani
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author Abdullah M AL-Shahrani
author_facet Abdullah M AL-Shahrani
author_sort Abdullah M AL-Shahrani
collection DOAJ
description The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted educational institutions to close down worldwide. This unprecedented step led to a feeling of anxiety in the student community that encountered obstacles in shifting to an online education mode. Saudi Arabia also followed these steps to minimize the loss of life, but simultaneously, the administration also assured people that they had nothing to fear as the country was prepared to support them in every way. The current study was accordingly commissioned between April 21, 2020, and May 20, 2020, to assess the impact of the new developments on the anxiety of 119 students from the College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia, using an adapted Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale - 7 (GAD-7). The findings showed that 46.22% of respondents had minimal anxiety, 26.89% had mild anxiety, 12.60% had moderate anxiety, and 14.29% had severe anxiety. The findings indicate that Saudi University students had minimal anxiety issues concomitant to the pandemic. The results also significantly show that students' anxiety or its absence was a factor of gender and the students' current level of education in the university. Context: The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted educational institutions to close down worldwide. This unprecedented step led to a feeling of anxiety in the student community that encountered obstacles in shifting to an online education mode. Saudi Arabia also followed these steps to minimize the loss of life, but simultaneously, the administration also assured people that they had nothing to fear as the country was prepared to support them in every way. Aim: To assess the impact of the new developments on the anxiety. Settings and Design: An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted between April 21, 2020, and May 20, 2020 at the College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia. Methods and Material: The students were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire form, using an adapted GAD-7. Results: The findings showed that 46.22% of respondents had minimal anxiety, 26.89% had mild anxiety, 12.60% had moderate anxiety, and 14.29% had severe anxiety. The findings indicate that Saudi University students had minimal anxiety issues concomitant to the pandemic.
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spelling doaj.art-9612fc20a16b4cb2b55931a8094b7d322022-12-21T19:22:28ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632021-01-011093192319710.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_46_21Students' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory studyAbdullah M AL-ShahraniThe sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted educational institutions to close down worldwide. This unprecedented step led to a feeling of anxiety in the student community that encountered obstacles in shifting to an online education mode. Saudi Arabia also followed these steps to minimize the loss of life, but simultaneously, the administration also assured people that they had nothing to fear as the country was prepared to support them in every way. The current study was accordingly commissioned between April 21, 2020, and May 20, 2020, to assess the impact of the new developments on the anxiety of 119 students from the College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia, using an adapted Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale - 7 (GAD-7). The findings showed that 46.22% of respondents had minimal anxiety, 26.89% had mild anxiety, 12.60% had moderate anxiety, and 14.29% had severe anxiety. The findings indicate that Saudi University students had minimal anxiety issues concomitant to the pandemic. The results also significantly show that students' anxiety or its absence was a factor of gender and the students' current level of education in the university. Context: The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted educational institutions to close down worldwide. This unprecedented step led to a feeling of anxiety in the student community that encountered obstacles in shifting to an online education mode. Saudi Arabia also followed these steps to minimize the loss of life, but simultaneously, the administration also assured people that they had nothing to fear as the country was prepared to support them in every way. Aim: To assess the impact of the new developments on the anxiety. Settings and Design: An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted between April 21, 2020, and May 20, 2020 at the College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia. Methods and Material: The students were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire form, using an adapted GAD-7. Results: The findings showed that 46.22% of respondents had minimal anxiety, 26.89% had mild anxiety, 12.60% had moderate anxiety, and 14.29% had severe anxiety. The findings indicate that Saudi University students had minimal anxiety issues concomitant to the pandemic.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2021;volume=10;issue=9;spage=3192;epage=3197;aulast=AL-Shahranianxiety levelcovid-19 pandemicsaudi arabiastudents
spellingShingle Abdullah M AL-Shahrani
Students' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care
anxiety level
covid-19 pandemic
saudi arabia
students
title Students' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study
title_full Students' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study
title_fullStr Students' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study
title_full_unstemmed Students' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study
title_short Students' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study
title_sort students anxiety during the covid 19 pandemic in saudi arabia an exploratory study
topic anxiety level
covid-19 pandemic
saudi arabia
students
url http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2021;volume=10;issue=9;spage=3192;epage=3197;aulast=AL-Shahrani
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