Psychological impact and coping strategies of medical students during university closure due to COVID-19 in a state university in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction: Medical students are an especially vulnerable group to develop mental health problems due to high academic pressure, competitive training and financial restraints. Loss of routine, disengagement from peers and adapting to distant learning during the pandemic may worsen psychological distress in medical students. Aims: We aimed to identify the psychological impact and coping strategies of medical students during the pandemic. Methods: The study instruments were emailed as a Google form among all medical students in the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. A specifically designed questionnaire was used to gather the sociodemograpgic details and assess coping skills. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to measure psychological impact. Results: 527 students responded to the questionnaire. The main worry among the students was upcoming exams (74.4%). Depressive symptoms were present in 40.8%, anxiety in 34% and high levels of stress were seen in 24.7%. Depression (p