Stress, depression and anxiety levels after the COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguayan university students

Abstract

Introduction: It turns out delicate to university students the reintegration of face-to-face classes after two years of pandemic and, practically, the prohibition of social activities. This includes modifications in social and academic terms that might affect mental health, considering the high academic expectations, personal difficulties in learning, time-self management, and others. The objective consists in determining stress, depression and anxiety levels of first-year medicine students in a paraguayan university. Methods: A quantitative, exploratory, non-experimental, descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The sample was non-probabilistic of 187 first-year medical students at the Catholic University of Asunción in May 2022, considering a confidence level of 95% and an alpha error of 5%. The abbreviated version, translated into Spanish and adapted to students of the self-administered depression, anxiety and stress questionnaire DASS - 21, consisting of 21 items, with four response alternatives in Likert format. Results: The average age was 20,6 years, 65,7% of the sample taken were women and 34,3% men. 76% have some level of depression, 86,09% stress and 76,60% anxiety. Conclusion: The prohibitions of normal activities because of the quarantine affected a lot to the personal balance of the actual university students of the first year. The mental preparation, emotional and leisure activities (according to actual government dispositions) must be prioritized personally and socially, not only during the developing state of this post pandemic time, but also for the development of a healthy lifestyle.