A Study on Perceived Stress in College Students During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The whole World is affected due to COVID-19 pandemic and had a great impact on the lives and mental health of the people. The spread of the virus was very swift and caused global health threat affecting adults and children. The routines were disturbed drastically and many psychological changes were observed in the population due to pandemic like fear, stress, anxiety, insecurity or depression. One of the primary precautions to reduce the spread of the pandemic was social distancing which led to further isolation of people from one another leading to emotional imbalances and mental strain. The closure of educational institutions was one of the key decisions taken by the Government to prevent the spread of the pandemic. Teaching methodology shifted from physical teaching to virtual mode teaching using technology. Many interactive tools were designed and developed by the institutions / organizations to bridge the gap and facilitate online teaching. These tools demanded smart devices, the support of technology, learning support services connectivity so on which deprived majority of the students in attending online classes and completing their courses. Research studies reveal that the new normal situation had a tremendous impact on student drop out ratio, as they lacked the essential tools and services due to the drastic and sudden change in the teaching pedagogy. Students who handled this situation and who continued studies showed poor performance as they lacked the ability to balance the stress and pressure. Therefore, the present study focused to understand and explore the perceived stress level in students during the Pandemic.