JOIN USBengaluru's Mount Carmel College student survey reveals stress over Covid-19, lockdown
In a survey conducted at Mount Carmel College, students reported feeling stress not just over Covid-19 but also during the first 75-day lockdown introduced in the state.
A survey-based project by Dr Geeta Mohan of the college to analyse the impact of lockdown determined that 27% of students exhibited the following symptoms indicative of anxiety: Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge, not being able to control worrying, trouble relaxing, not being able to sit still for long, becoming easily annoyed or irritable and feeling afraid that something awful could happen.
A majority of students were anxious due to delays in examination, fearing that this would hinder their admission for post-graduation courses or hamper employability. Thirty-eight percent of respondents missed their friends and felt restricted indoors, not able to go out and have a normal social life.
The project surveyed 1,062 respondents who are college students in the age group of 18-21.
96% of the respondents are living with their parents or guardians. One percent of students are staying alone and three percent are staying with friends or relatives. A majority of outstation students had managed to leave Bengaluru before the lockdown was introduced on March 25.
Forty-nine percent of respondents said that they curbed anxiousness or stress by talking with their friends. Twenty percent said they spoke to their parents, 3.2% to their teachers and mentors. Startlingly, 27.8% of students said they did not speak to anyone about their anxiety.
Forty-six percent of students said they spent the lockdown period by chatting with their friends. Nineteen percent said they studied for their forthcoming examinations, 35% pursued hobbies such as cooking, gardening, reading and also exercising .
Dr Mohan said she was prompted to start the survey after several students came forward to talk to her about their anxieties and feelings towards the epidemic.
“Anxiety can be defined as intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. It is a normal and often healthy emotion to a certain extent but if this emotion persists it can lead to a medical disorder which causes nervousness, apprehension, worry and can alter the behaviour of the person, sometimes also leading to physical symptoms,” she said.
Dr Mohan said that the college had organised webinars for students whereby experts in the field of psychology and psychiatry are available for interaction or counselling.