European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Introduction:  Corona virus disease evolved into an explosion worldwide within three months, exhibiting serious threats among population. ^.  As a part of prevention along with other countries India introduced lockdown, Young students are the population most commonly affected during these pandemics, due to academic career, uncertainty of exams, difficult to cope up with online studies.  Sudden nature of this novel outbreak and hidden infectious nature and power, might affect the students psychologically. In country like India being social with full of human interactions, celebrations, when all such movements were reduced, mental health distress results. 
Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted online among medical students during the release of lockdown period. Total three hundred and fifty seven students involved in the study males (155) and females (202), with age group ranging from 17 to 28 years. Self designed questionnaires regarding social and demographic status and GAD-7 for anxiety and PHQ-9 for depression questionnaires were used. 
Statistical analysis used - (SPSS v 21) software, using chi square test and correlational analysis.
Results: Majority of students belonging to 17-20 years of age were found to develop significant (p=0.03) moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Students lagging in their studies were significantly found to develop depressive and anxiety symptoms (p<0.00001 and p<0.0002 respectively). Performing exercises during the lockdown, showed a significant (p=0.008) reduction in the risk of developing anxiety symptoms.
Conclusions: Results of present study indicate mental health disturbances due to Covid pandemic even during the release of lockdown period. Though as a part of prevention colleges are kept closed yet, for students this concept broke out with impact on mental health disturbances. The goal of the present study is to develop interventions to plan and alleviate the psychological disturbances.