Evaluation of the degree of anxiety in academics of a private college

Abstract

Aims: this study aimed to evaluate the degree of anxiety of academics from a private higher education institution. Methods: a cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative and observational study was conducted in 366 randomly selected students enrolled in the first semester of 2019. Data collection was performed through a questionnaire with sociodemographic- behavioral questions and questions of the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The degrees of anxiety (minimal or absent, mild, moderate, and severe) were determined by the sum of Beck's inventory scores. Results: of the total sample, 62.3% presented some degree of anxiety, and the courses in the health area presented the most students with degrees of anxiety. Sex and age were the variables that showed a significant correlation with the degrees of anxiety. Conclusion: this study warns about the occurrence of anxiety disorders in university students, which implies a growing necessity for strategies within the academic environment to revert or prevent the onset of mental health pathologies in university students.