Level of psychological distress of the undergraduate occupational therapy students of BHPI during to COVID-19

Abstract

Background: The novel coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19, has spread all over the world, causing a public health emergency. The COVID-19 compelled educational institutions throughout the world to switch from face-to-face to virtual teaching. It not only impacted institutional stakeholders but also caused psychological distress to all parties involved in education, especially students. Therefore, it was important to identify the how it caused the psychological distress among the undergraduate occupational therapy students of BHPI during to COVID-19. Aim: This study aimed to find out the level of psychological distress of the undergraduate Occupational Therapy students of BHPI during to COVID-19. Methods: The study was conducted by following quantitative cross-sectional study design with face-to-face survey. A total of 139 participated in the study through a self-reported questionnaire, and their psychological distress was assessed by the Impact Event Scale-Reversed (IES-R) scale. Descriptive analysis by the use of SPSS 25. Results: Based on the Impact Event Scale-Reversed (IES-R) scale, the study found that the prevalence of normal (29%), mild (21%), moderate (6%), and severe psychological distress (44%) and post-traumatic symptoms. The self-reported questionnaire shows that among all participants 65%, 76% are facing depression and anxiety. Conclusions: The results show that participants face mild to severe psychological distress during the pandemic. The pandemic negatively impacted all the aspects of student life to maintain student well-being and support a successful university experience. Keywords: COVID-19, Undergraduate student, Students, Psychological distress, Lockdown, OT Students