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Saddik B, Hussein A, Sharif-Askari FS, Kheder W, Temsah MH, Koutaich RA, Haddad ES, Al-Roub NM, Marhoon FA, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Increased Levels of Anxiety Among Medical and Non-Medical University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Arab Emirates. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2020; 13:2395-2406. [PMID: 33177898 PMCID: PMC7652570 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s273333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to increase anxiety levels within the community and in particular medical students who are already considered psychologically vulnerable groups. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, no study has yet estimated the effect of this pandemic on university students in the UAE or its impact on the psychological well-being of medical students. Methods and Materials We surveyed 1485 medical (comprising medical and dental) and non-medical university students across 4 emirates within the UAE. We used an online platform to assess knowledge, sources of information, changes in hygienic behavior, perceptions of fear and worry and anxiety levels using the generalized anxiety disorder 7 (GAD-7) scale. The GAD-7 score was measured at three time points: during hospital visits for medical/dental students, before the introduction of online learning and after online learning for all students. Results The majority of students demonstrated high levels of knowledge and utilized reliable sources of information. Non-medical students exercised higher compliance with social restrictions, while medical students practiced better hand hygiene. Almost half of students reported anxiety levels ranging from mild to severe with females reporting higher anxiety scores during hospital visits (OR=2.02, 95% CI, 1.41 to 2.91) and medical students reporting lower anxiety levels in comparison to dental students (OR=0.61, 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.84). Medical students reported higher levels of anxiety during their clinical rotations which decreased with the introduction of online learning, yet, non-medical students’ anxiety levels increased with online learning. Conclusion This study provides important information on the initial response and anxiety levels in university students across the UAE during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from our study can be used to support the development of effective screening strategies and interventions to build psychological resilience among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic or any other public health emergencies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basema Saddik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Hussein
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Waad Kheder
- College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamad-Hani Temsah
- Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rim Adnan Koutaich
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Enad Sami Haddad
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nora Marwan Al-Roub
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatema Adel Marhoon
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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