The influence of illness perception, anxiety and depression disorders on students mental health during COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan: a Web-based cross-sectional survey
International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare
ISSN: 2056-4902
Article publication date: 20 August 2021
Issue publication date: 24 February 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Since the emergence of a coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV) in December 2019, the whole world is in a state of chaos. Isolation strategy with quarantine is a useful model in controlling transmission and rapid spread. As a result, people remained at home and disrupted their outside daily activities. It led to the closure of educational institutes, which is a source of many students to cope with numerous personal and familial issues. This study aims to focus on exploring the relationships and potential mediational pathways between mental health problems, illness perception, anxiety and depression disorders.
Design/methodology/approach
The study incorporated snowball sampling techniques through a cross-sectional, Web-based survey and recruited 500 students from different universities of twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad from March 23 to April 15, 2020, during the coronavirus outbreak lockdown. The study used four instruments, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire and The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale for assessing depression, anxiety, illness perception and mental health disorders.
Findings
The findings indicated normal (43.2%), mild (20.5%), moderate (13.6%) and severe (22.7%) levels of anxiety prevalence in students. Results specified a normal (65.9%), mild (9.10%), moderate (9.12%) and severe (15.90%) depression prevalence and findings stipulated that anxiety disorder prevalence was higher than depression disorder. The correlational results specified a negative and significant relationship between mental health, illness perception, anxiety and depression symptoms. The multiple regression analysis stated that anxiety and depression disorders mediated the relationship between mental health and present illness perception. The perception of illness exhibited a relation to depression and anxiety disorders.
Originality/value
The study proposed a model to address mental health problems during the lockdown. The (2019-nCoV) illness perception developed mental disorders, including anxiety and depression, which has declined individuals’ mental health. There is an urgent need for ongoing clinical examination and management to address psychological disorders and findings suggest assessing mental health to combatting the pandemic worldwide. Findings recommend developing strategies to promote mental health-care facilities during COVID-19 wide-ranging disasters. These results highlight the impending importance of devising strategies to treat mental health problems.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to professional editing language services to make sure that English grammar is errors free for this manuscript.Funding: Foundation University Islamabad has approved this research study. We have not received any funding to execute this research study, the rigorousprocedure of collecting data and other associated processes toconduct this study.Authors’ contribution: M.A.conceptualized the idea, contributed to study design, completed the entire article, including introduction,literature, discussion and conclusion. M.A. edited the original manuscript before submission. J.A.conceptualized the idea, contributed to study design, completed the entire article, including introduction,literature, discussion and conclusion. J.A. edited the original manuscript before submission. K.H.S.contributed to literature and datacollection procedures. Hamzasupported in analysis and literature investigation. T.R. contributed toliterature and data collectionprocedures. Hamza supported in analysis and literature investigation. A.Z. contributed to rewriting the whole manuscript draft. Approved the revised version before submission.
Citation
Aqeel, M., Abbas, J., Shuja, K.H., Rehna, T., Ziapour, A., Yousaf, I. and Karamat, T. (2022), "The influence of illness perception, anxiety and depression disorders on students mental health during COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan: a Web-based cross-sectional survey", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 17-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-10-2020-0095
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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