Qanash Sultan, Al-Husayni Faisal, Alemam Shereen, Alqublan Lina, Alwafi Emad, Mufti Hani N, Qanash Husam, Shabrawishi Mohammed, Ghabashi Ala'a
Internal Medicine, National Guard Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, SAU.
Medicine, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, SAU.
Cureus. 2020 Nov 29;12(11):e11767. doi: 10.7759/cureus.11767.
Background The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the globe dramatically. It has affected daily life noticeably and the teaching process is one of the significantly affected aspects as the learning approach has been shifted to distance learning (DL). These new changes may affect student performance and emotional well-being. This study aimed to assess the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning on healthcare students. Method An online self-administered cross-sectional survey was distributed to healthcare students for the period between April 2020 to June 2020. The study included students from different universities in Saudi Arabia. Knowledge and perception of COVID-19 and the experience of distance learning during the pandemic period were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Psychological effect was evaluated using Four-Item Patient Health Questionnaire for Anxiety and Depression (PHQ-4). Results A total of 721 students completed the survey with the majority being females. Around 25% of students had experienced anxiety, while 35% had depression. Severe anxiety and depression were noted in over 6% of the participants. Younger age and female gender were more affected psychologically. Students with higher scores in PHQ-4 were strongly disagreeing that hand gloves and surgical masks may help in preventing COVID-19 transmission. Students with normal psychological assessment were more likely to favor DL, while students with moderate to severe anxiety and depression disagreed. Conclusion Healthcare students have alarmingly high levels of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. General knowledge of the pandemic is not associated with the psychological impact. DL is a convenient approach for students with normal PHQ-4 scores. Programs to help students overcome the psychological impact of COVID-19 are highly recommended.
背景 2019 新型冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行对全球产生了巨大影响。它显著影响了日常生活，教学过程是受影响尤为严重的方面之一，因为学习方式已转向远程学习（DL）。这些新变化可能会影响学生的成绩和情绪健康。本研究旨在评估 COVID-19 大流行和远程学习对医学生的心理影响。方法 在 2020 年 4 月至 2020 年 6 月期间，向医学生发放了一份在线自填式横断面调查问卷。该研究纳入了沙特阿拉伯不同大学的学生。使用 5 点李克特量表评估对 COVID-19 的知识和认知以及大流行期间的远程学习体验。使用四项患者焦虑和抑郁健康问卷（PHQ-4）评估心理影响。结果 共有 721 名学生完成了调查，其中大多数为女性。约 25% 的学生经历过焦虑，35% 的学生有抑郁症状。超过 6% 的参与者存在严重焦虑和抑郁。年龄较小和女性在心理上受影响更大。PHQ-4 得分较高的学生强烈不同意手套和外科口罩有助于预防 COVID-19 传播。心理评估正常的学生更倾向于远程学习，而中度至重度焦虑和抑郁的学生则持反对意见。结论 在 COVID-19 大流行期间，医学生的焦虑和抑郁水平高得惊人。对大流行的一般了解与心理影响无关。对于 PHQ-4 得分正常的学生来说，远程学习是一种便捷的方式。强烈建议开展帮助学生克服 COVID-19 心理影响的项目。
