Anxiety, depression, and stress among radiography undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted education and other aspects of life, causing psychological distress. The current study aims to identify anxiety, depression, and stress among radiography undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between November and December 2021 on a sample of 140 radiography undergraduates at the Department of Radiography/Radiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya. An online survey with two sections: demographic characteristics and a psychometric scale (DASS-42) was used for data collection. Results: A total of 107 undergraduates responded to the questionnaire giving a response rate of 76.2%. The results revealed that the majority of radiography undergraduate students suffered from mild to extremely severe depression (87.85%), anxiety (92.52%), and stress (73.83%) levels. In addition, more than two-thirds of the students ( >73% of participants) reported at least one symptom of depression, anxiety, or stress to varying degrees. Scores for depression, anxiety, and stress did not differ significantly across gender and academic year. However, a significant difference was observed between the two age groups, 23-26 years and > 27 years, regarding depression. The older students reported severe depression, whereas younger students reported moderate depression. Conclusion: A high prevalence of negative psychological impact was observed among radiography undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. This necessitates taking proactive steps to address, safeguard, and nurture undergraduates' mental health and well-being during the current and future pandemic crises to mitigate the negative impacts.