Stress, anxiety, and depression among university students, teaching staff, and administrative personnel at URACCAN Nueva Guinea Campus during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about drastic changes in people's lives and presented significant challenges. The college community was not exempt from these impacts. Manifestations of depression, anxiety, and stress are aspects that arise at varying levels in situations like the aforementioned. This article provides a summary of the evaluation of the psychological impact experienced by the university community of URACCAN University, Nueva Guinea, during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DASS-21 and EIE-R tests were administered to 285 students and 47 members of the teaching and administrative staff. The information was obtained through a self-administered questionnaire and subsequently analyzed using SPSS version 24 software.

The results revealed that 26% of the total sample had experienced symptoms of COVID-19. Regarding depression, 62% of the students exhibited symptoms within the normal range, while 17% and 12% experienced mild and moderate depression, respectively. Levels of anxiety and stress varied from normal to mild and moderate, with similar results in both cases. This study demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of students and university staff. Additionally, significant differences were observed in levels of anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress, as well as an association between gender and anxiety and stress levels among the staff.