Anxiety and Depression among Exact and Natural Science College Students of BUAP-México under COVID-19 Lockdown

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among a population of exact and natural science university students from Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP)-México under COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, we explored influencing factors pertaining to the online learning environment at home. A total of 502 college students; 192 men (38.2%) and 310 women (61.8%) participated in this cross-sectional web-based survey. A Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (GADS) standardized e-questionnaire was generated using Google Forms, and the link was shared through email. The data collection process was conducted during voluntary COVID-19 lockdown during the second university semester (October-November, 2020) and before the final exams period. The data recovered was analyzed in three consecutive levels, including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis. The college students experienced high levels of anxiety and depression. The sampled population of men and women was 75.5% and 92.3% respectively measured positive for anxiety, whereas depression was measured at 63.5% and 78.4% respectively. Factors influencing at-home e-learning such as internet connection quality, internet cost, status of owning or sharing a PC, inhabitants per household and length of academic program completed were correlated positively with high prevalence (>60%) of anxiety and depression among students. Based on the reported results, we suggest that both the university authorities and government could work together to address these high levels of anxiety and depression to reduce their impact among university students with the ultimate goal of achieving optimal learning during lockdown conditions.