The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on Bangladeshi students

Abstract

Bangladesh has been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic since March 2020. It affected various age groups, occupations, and communities. Due to lockdowns, social distance, self-isolation or quarantine, medical services crises, job losses, and future uncertainty, most of the people suffered physically and mentally. Especially, long-term shut down of educational institutions and uncertainty in educational activities led the students into psychological distress, even sometimes into psychological disorder. This study aimed to investigate the overall scenario and psychological status of the students during the COVID-19 epidemic. Through a questionnaire survey, 464 responses were collected from university students who were selected by following a snowball sampling method. The questionnaire contained the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. Results indicated that a significant number of the students (76.6%) were experiencing anxiety. Students' anxiety was significantly influenced by their educational level, where delay and uncertainty about earning a bachelor's or master's degree raised anxiety levels. Besides, female students were found more likely to be severely anxious. However, place of residence, changes in family income, lived at during epidemic, got COVID-19, and relative or acquaintance got COVID-19 had no significant effect on their anxiety. This study suggested that universities should prioritize mental health resources with flexible learning environments and foster a sense of community to help students recover and thrive in a post-pandemic world. And the government and educational institutions should work together to address and resolve this regard.