European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Background: WHO has designated Covid-19 as a pandemic, this has an effect on mental health when people are stuck at home and it is unknown when the social distancing rule ends. This affects the quality of student learning faced with stressors in dealing with lecture material and exposure to Covid-19 information from social media. This study aims to predict the effect of social media exposure on depression and anxiety disorders in health students in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Methode: This research is a cross sectional study with a sample of students majoring in health in Indonesia in May 2020. Data were collected using a questionnaire through an online survey. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression with Stata 13. Result: Results from the study found that there was a significant effect of social media exposure on depression (OR=1.64; CI 95%=1.05 hingga 2.57; p=0.031) and anxiety disorders (OR=1.64; CI 95%=1.18 to 3.40; p=0.008) in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Exposure to social media during this pandemic can increase the risk of depression and anxiety disorders in college students. So, it is expected that students also need to know the steps to protect themselves from excessive stress and panic in the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak.