Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Fear of COVID-19 Among the Students of the University of Bojnord in Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: A significant increase in mental problems among students have been reported during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and fear of COVID-19 and the relationships between them among college students, approximately two years after the onset of the pandemic in Iran. Methods: In this descriptive study, 148 students were recruited from the University of Bojnord using a convenience sampling method. The depression, anxiety stress scale (DASS) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and Pearson correlation test were used to analyze the data. Results: The results show that 15.5% of students had depression, 12.8% had anxiety, and 14.2% had stress and fear of COVID-19 symptoms. The mean score of DASS in this study was not significantly different from the scores reported in the beginning of pandemic. The fear of COVID-19 had no significant relationship with depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion: The levels of depression, anxiety and stress two years after the COVID-19 pandemic do not differ from their levels at the beginning of the pandemic among college students, but the fear of COVID-19 level is significantly lower. Acceleration of the vaccination and the increase of awareness about the disease might be reasons for improvement in the psychological status of students.