Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

Evaluating the Knowledge of COVID-19 and Its Effect on Psychosocial Outcomes Among University Students in Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), India

S.M Safdar Ashraf, Atiya Anjum

Abstract


The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019, originated in Wuhan, China, and rapidly became a global health crisis of unprecedented scale. There are benefits and drawbacks to living in the connected world of today, where the internet and social media significantly contribute to the dissemination of knowledge. On one hand, information can reach a large audience in a short time. On the other side, without trusted sources, this information might be unreliable and spread quickly. It is crucial to understand where students obtain their information about the pandemic, how these sources impact their knowledge, and the relationship between their knowledge and psychological well-being. Recognizing this significance, the objective of this study is to assess students' level of COVID-19 knowledge, identify the media sources they rely on for information, and explore their psychological states. Materials and Methods: The research applied a cross-sectional design and involved participants from Aligarh Muslim University. A questionnaire comprising two sections was utilized. The first section contained questions developed by the researchers to assess the methods used for acquiring information about COVID-19 and the participants' levels of knowledge regarding the virus. The second section consisted of the "Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21)," a validated screening tool commonly used for assessing mental health in both patient and general populations. Results: The results show a negative relationship between sadness, anxiety, and stress levels with knowledge of COVID-19. As knowledge about COVID-19 increases, there is a decrease in the reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion: These findings highlight the significance of using trustworthy and validated sources while looking for information about COVID- 19. It is crucial for authorities to promote the use of such sources to ensure accurate and credible information reaches the public.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Qiu J, Shen B, Zhao M, Wang Z, Xie B, Xu Y. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: implications and policy recommendations. Gen Psychiat. 2020; 33(2): e100213.

Levkovich I, Shinan-Altman S. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress and emotional reactions in Israel: a mixed-methods study. International Health. 2021; 13: 358–366p. doi:10.1093/inthealth/ihaa081 Advance Access publication 13 October 2020.

Duan L, Zhu G. Psychological interventions for people affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Lancet Psychiat. 2020; 7: 300–302p.

Ho CS, Chee CY, Ho RC. Mental health strategies to combat the psychological impact of COVID- 19 beyond paranoia and panic. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2020; 49: 1–3p.

Mahar B, Warsi J, Shah T. Assessment of the state of mental health by using DASS-21 during COVID-19. Rawal Medical Journal. 2022; 47(2): 265–270p.

Mian A, Khan S. Coronavirus: the spread of misinformation. BMC Med. 2020; 18(1): 89p.

Sallam M, Dababseh D, Yaseen A, Al-Haidar A, Ababneh NA, Bakri FG, Mahafzah A. Conspiracy beliefs are associated with lower knowledge and higher anxiety levels regarding COVID-19 among students at the university of Jordan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(14): 4915p. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph17144915

Chou WS, Oh A, Klein WMP. Addressing Health-Related Misinformation on Social Media. JAMA. 2018; 320(23): 2417–2418p.

Rozenblum R, Bates DW. Patient-centred healthcare, social media and the internet: the perfect storm? BMJ Qual Saf. 2013; 22(3): 183–186p.

Ali A, Siddiqui AA, Arshad MS, Iqbal F, Arif TB. Effects of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on lifestyle and mental health of students: A retrospective study from Karachi, Pakistan. Annales Medico-Psychologiques. 2022; 18(6): S29–S37. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amp. 2021.02.004

Boberg S, Quandt T, Schatto-Eckrodt T, Frischlich L. Pandemic populism: Facebook pages of alternative news media and the corona crisis—A computational content analysis. Pandemic Populism-MOR Working Paper No.1/2020; 2020 Apr 10. Available from: http://arxiv.org/pdf/ 2004.02566v3

Gao J, Zheng P, Jia Y, Chen H, Mao Y, Chen S, Wang Y, Fu H, Dai J. Mental health problems and social media exposure during COVID-19 outbreak. PloS One. 2020; 15(4): e0231924. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231924

Al-Motlaq MA. “There is no corona; It’s a conspiracy”: Addressing the perceptions of people about COVID-19 through the narrative of their comments on social media. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet. 2021; 25(1): 65–76p. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/15398285.2020. 1867412

Kumar A, Nayar KR. COVID 19 and its mental health consequences. Journal of Mental Health (Abingdon, England). 2021; 30(1): 1–2p. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237. 2020.1757052

Unal C, Aslan R, Yilmaz HO. Evaluation of Knowledge about COVID-19 and Its Effect on Psychological States of University Students. European Journal of Environment and Public Health. 2021; 5(2): em0084

Hua J, Shaw R. Corona Virus (COVID-19) "Infodemic" and Emerging Issues through a Data Lens: The Case of China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020; 17(7): 2309.

Ardan M, Rahman FF, Geroda GB. The influence of physical distance to student anxiety on COVID-19, Indonesia. Journal of Critical Reviews. 2020; 7(17): 1126–1132p. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31838/jcr.07.17.141

Bergeron SL, Sanchez AL. Media effects on students during SARS outbreak. Emerging İnfectious Diseases. 2005; 11(5): 732–734p. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3201/ eid1105.040512

Cao W, Fang Z, Hou G, Han M, Xu X, Dong J, Zheng J. The psychological impact of the COVID- 19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research. 2020; 287: 112934. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020. 112934

Husky MM, Kovess-Masfety V, Swendsen JD. Stress and anxiety among university students in France during COVID-19 mandatory confinement. Comprehensive Psychiatry 2020; 102: 152191. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.comppsych.2020.152191

Kmietowicz Z. Rules on isolation rooms for suspected COVID-19 cases in GP surgeries to be relaxed. BMJ. 2020; 368: m707. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m707

Shigemura J, Ursano RJ, Morganstein JC, Kurosawa M, Benedek DM. Public responses to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Japan: Mental health consequences and target populations. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. 2020; 74(4): 281–282p. Available from: https://doi.org/ 10.1111/pcn.12988

Wong TW, Gao Y, Tam WWS. Anxiety among university students during the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong. Stress and Health. 2007; 23(1): 31–35p. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/smi. 1116

Tay BYQ, Chew NWS, Lee GKH, Jing M, Goh Y, Yeo LLL, et al. Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers in Singapore [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 6]. Ann Intern Med. 2020; 2020: M20-1083. doi: 10.7326/M20-1083.

Olaimat AN, Aolymat I, Shahbaz HM, Holley RA. Knowledge and information sources about COVID19 among university students in Jordan: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health. 2020; 8: 254p. Available from: https://doi.org/ 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00254 20.00254


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.