. Muhammad Azam Awais; . Muhammad Minhaj Chaudhery; . Muhammad Sarfraz Khan; . Adam Umair Ashraf Butt; . Abdur Rehman Malik; . Muhammad Numair Khan; . Areeb Khalid; . Mohsin Mahmood; . Mohammad Talal Afzal; . Muhammad Haseeb Waseem
Volume 11, Issue 7 , August 2021, , Pages 1-7
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, many countries have implemented nationwidelockdowns. While this leads to a decrease in disease transmission, there is a concurrent increase ...
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BACKGROUND: Due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, many countries have implemented nationwidelockdowns. While this leads to a decrease in disease transmission, there is a concurrent increase inthe levels of psychological distress. To estimate the levels of psychological distress in school‑ andcollege‑going adolescents currently under lockdown and to determine the factors associated withthis psychological distress.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross‑sectional study conducted in Army Public School andCollege (APSAC) Sibi, Balochistan province of Pakistan between March and May 2020. Studentsof APSAC Sibi were enrolled in this research. Modified Kuppuswamy Socioeconomic Scale, GodinLeisure‑Time Exercise Questionnaire, and Kessler‑10 were used for data acquisition. Chi‑squareand t‑tests and univariate analysis (nonparametric test) were performed using the Statistical Packagefor the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 (IBM, Armonk, US).RESULTS: Out of 225 participants, 57.4% were studying at school. Sixty‑four percent of the participantswere likely to be suffering from psychological distress. There is a significant effect of physical activity,sleep duration, bedtime at night, screen‑time duration, and COVID‑19 positive family member on thelevels of distress. A moderate positive correlation was between psychological distress and bed‑time atnight (rho[223] = 0.328, P < 0.001) and screen time duration (rho[223] = 0.541, P < 0.001). A moderatenegative correlation of physical activity (rho[223] = −0.340, P < 0.001) and a weak negative correlationof sleep duration hours (rho[225] = −0.158, P = 0.018) was found with psychological distress levels.CONCLUSIONS: The COVID‑19 lockdown and pandemic have had a considerable psychologicalimpact on both school‑going and college‑going students, showing increased level of stress. A strongpublic health campaign along with mental and physical and social support programs are the needof the hour.