Prevalence and associated risk factors for mental health problems among female university students during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study findings from Dhaka, Bangladesh

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously affected the physical and mental health of people at all levels worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and contributing factors for mental health problems among female university students in the urban area of Bangladesh. We conducted this online cross-sectional study among 451 female university students. Here we assessed the symptomatic prevalence of common mental health problems among the participants. The prevalence rate of loneliness, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among female university students in Bangladesh was 55.88%, 69.18%, and 45.23%, respectively. Also, we noticed that mild, moderate, and severe symptoms of loneliness, generalized anxiety, and depression were 36.90%, 40.48%, and 22.62%; 48.08%, 22.44%, and 29.48%; and 37.31%, 26.87%, and 35.52%; respectively. According to the present study results, marital status, financial condition, education level, and family structure (nuclear/joint) are potential contributing factors to mental health problems among female university students living in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the academic performance and emotional well-being of students in Bangladesh. Also, the closure of university classes for a long time in Bangladesh was responsible for the poor mental health of students. Promoting good mental health has become a vital public health concern during this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Female university students residing in urban areas in Bangladesh are more prone to developing mental health problems during any crisis. Therefore, the healthcare authorities of Bangladesh should promote the good mental health of students during and after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Keeping in touch with students to support them psychologically and mentally during the pandemic is crucial for promoting their good mental health.

Abstract

Loneliness; Anxiety; Depression; Mental health; Covid-19; Students; Bangladesh.

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A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7.

Robert L Spitzer, Kurt Kroenke, Janet B W Williams … (2006)

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common mental disorders; however, there is no brief clinical measure for assessing GAD. The objective of this study was to develop a brief self-report scale to identify probable cases of GAD and evaluate its reliability and validity. A criterion-standard study was performed in 15 primary care clinics in the United States from November 2004 through June 2005. Of a total of 2740 adult patients completing a study questionnaire, 965 patients had a telephone interview with a mental health professional within 1 week. For criterion and construct validity, GAD self-report scale diagnoses were compared with independent diagnoses made by mental health professionals; functional status measures; disability days; and health care use. A 7-item anxiety scale (GAD-7) had good reliability, as well as criterion, construct, factorial, and procedural validity. A cut point was identified that optimized sensitivity (89%) and specificity (82%). Increasing scores on the scale were strongly associated with multiple domains of functional impairment (all 6 Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey scales and disability days). Although GAD and depression symptoms frequently co-occurred, factor analysis confirmed them as distinct dimensions. Moreover, GAD and depression symptoms had differing but independent effects on functional impairment and disability. There was good agreement between self-report and interviewer-administered versions of the scale. The GAD-7 is a valid and efficient tool for screening for GAD and assessing its severity in clinical practice and research.

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The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure.

K Kroenke, R L Spitzer, J B Williams (2001)

While considerable attention has focused on improving the detection of depression, assessment of severity is also important in guiding treatment decisions. Therefore, we examined the validity of a brief, new measure of depression severity. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is a self-administered version of the PRIME-MD diagnostic instrument for common mental disorders. The PHQ-9 is the depression module, which scores each of the 9 DSM-IV criteria as "0" (not at all) to "3" (nearly every day). The PHQ-9 was completed by 6,000 patients in 8 primary care clinics and 7 obstetrics-gynecology clinics. Construct validity was assessed using the 20-item Short-Form General Health Survey, self-reported sick days and clinic visits, and symptom-related difficulty. Criterion validity was assessed against an independent structured mental health professional (MHP) interview in a sample of 580 patients. As PHQ-9 depression severity increased, there was a substantial decrease in functional status on all 6 SF-20 subscales. Also, symptom-related difficulty, sick days, and health care utilization increased. Using the MHP reinterview as the criterion standard, a PHQ-9 score > or =10 had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 88% for major depression. PHQ-9 scores of 5, 10, 15, and 20 represented mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe depression, respectively. Results were similar in the primary care and obstetrics-gynecology samples. In addition to making criteria-based diagnoses of depressive disorders, the PHQ-9 is also a reliable and valid measure of depression severity. These characteristics plus its brevity make the PHQ-9 a useful clinical and research tool.

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Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China

Cuiyan Wang, Riyu Pan, Xiaoyang Wan … (2020)

Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic is a public health emergency of international concern and poses a challenge to psychological resilience. Research data are needed to develop evidence-driven strategies to reduce adverse psychological impacts and psychiatric symptoms during the epidemic. The aim of this study was to survey the general public in China to better understand their levels of psychological impact, anxiety, depression, and stress during the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. The data will be used for future reference. Methods: From 31 January to 2 February 2020, we conducted an online survey using snowball sampling techniques. The online survey collected information on demographic data, physical symptoms in the past 14 days, contact history with COVID-19, knowledge and concerns about COVID-19, precautionary measures against COVID-19, and additional information required with respect to COVID-19. Psychological impact was assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and mental health status was assessed by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results: This study included 1210 respondents from 194 cities in China. In total, 53.8% of respondents rated the psychological impact of the outbreak as moderate or severe; 16.5% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 28.8% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and 8.1% reported moderate to severe stress levels. Most respondents spent 20–24 h per day at home (84.7%); were worried about their family members contracting COVID-19 (75.2%); and were satisfied with the amount of health information available (75.1%). Female gender, student status, specific physical symptoms (e.g., myalgia, dizziness, coryza), and poor self-rated health status were significantly associated with a greater psychological impact of the outbreak and higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.05). Specific up-to-date and accurate health information (e.g., treatment, local outbreak situation) and particular precautionary measures (e.g., hand hygiene, wearing a mask) were associated with a lower psychological impact of the outbreak and lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.05). Conclusions: During the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, more than half of the respondents rated the psychological impact as moderate-to-severe, and about one-third reported moderate-to-severe anxiety. Our findings identify factors associated with a lower level of psychological impact and better mental health status that can be used to formulate psychological interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 epidemic.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Heliyon

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Heliyon

Title: Heliyon

Publisher: The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

ISSN (Electronic): 2405-8440

Publication date PMC-release: 5 October 2022

Publication date (Electronic): 5 October 2022

Electronic Location Identifier: e10890

Affiliations

[a ]Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, 74/A Green Road, Farmgate, Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh

[b ]Department of Pharmacy, State University of Bangladesh, 77 Satmasjid Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh

Author notes

[∗ ]Corresponding author.

Article

Publisher Item ID: S2405-8440(22)02178-8 Publisher ID: e10890

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10890

PMC ID: 9534543

PubMed ID: 36217458

SO-VID: 8a2771cd-e7d8-4c21-a9bb-f55a9c318bca

License:

Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre - including this research content - immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.

History

Date received : 26 March 2022

Date revision received : 3 June 2022

Date accepted : 28 September 2022

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