Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an adverse impact on the mental health of people all over the world. This may lead to long-term psychological consequences if left unchecked.

Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the level of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young adults (18–30 years) and to find the difference in psychological impact according to gender, residence, and employment.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted between May 2020 and June 2020. An online survey was conducted using two validated questionnaires – Impact of Event Scale-Revised and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. These two validated questionnaires assess the post-traumatic stress (PTS), depression, anxiety, and stress among the respondents. The data obtained were statistically analyzed in GraphPad Prism 6.01.

Results: A total of 111 (male 54 and female 57) research participants provided full responses. A fair number (21.62%) of participants had PTS. A total of 48 (43.24%) had moderate-to-severe stress. Sixty-three (56.75%) had extremely severe anxiety and 18 (16.21%) had moderate-to-severe anxiety. Twenty-three (20.72%) participants showed extremely severe depression and 25 (22.52%) had moderate-to-severe depression. Females showed higher levels of anxiety and depression than males. However, there was no difference in anxiety and depression among the urban and rural populations. PTS and anxiety among employed respondents were higher than non-employed respondents.

Conclusion: We found a high level of anxiety and depression among them. Female young adults of both rural and urban areas are more vulnerable to anxiety and stress. Stakeholders should consider accelerating mental health support at the grassroots level for effective management of pandemics.

Key words: Anxiety; Coronavirus Disease 2019; Depression; Mental Health; Pandemics; Social Media; Young Adult