Psychological stress of Covid-19 pandemic on radiography students in Nigeria: a single centre study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/saludcyt2025545Keywords:
Anxiety, Covid-19, Depression, EducationAbstract
Background: Psychological stress triggers physical and emotional responses that can impact various bodily functions. This study aimed to assess the psychological stress experienced by radiography students at Nnamdi Azikiwe University during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify their coping strategies.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire among 186 radiography students. The survey collected socio-demographic data, such as gender, age, and academic year, along with responses related to psychological distress. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed.
Results: Among the 186 respondents, 96 (51.6%) were female, and 90 (48.4%) were male. The majority (62.4%) was aged 20-24 years, and the largest group (38.7%) was in their third year of study (300 Level). Over half (58.1%) of the students lived on campus, and most (87.6%) attended physical classes. A significant proportion (75.3%) reported somatic stress, with common symptoms including headaches (25.3%), physical fatigue (23.5%), and back pain (12.4%). Anxiety-related symptoms included sleep disturbances (36.6%), anger (31.2%), and anxiety (29.2%). Depression affected 87.6% of the respondents, with symptoms such as lack of motivation to study (34.9%), difficulty concentrating (25.3%), hopelessness (17.2%), and suicidal thoughts (10.2%). The main social factors contributing to psychological distress were difficulty in studying (36%), financial problems (22%), and challenges with learning modalities (18.8%). Excessive worrying (52.7%) was the most common psychological factor. The most prevalent impact of psychological distress was low motivation to work (29.6%). Social media was the most frequently used coping strategy (18.3%). There was no significant association between somatic stress and academic year/level (p = 0.319). However, a significant association was found between anxiety and academic level/year (p = 0.050) and between academic level/year and depression (p = 0.000).
Conclusion: Radiography students experienced significant psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily manifested as somatic stress, anxiety, and depression
References
1. Ogolodom MP, Mbaba AN, Alazigha N, Erondu OF, Egbe NO, et al. (2020) Knowledge, Attitudes and Fears of HealthCare Workers towards the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic in South-South, Nigeria. Health Sci J. Sp. Iss 1: 002
2. Li Q, Guan X, Wu P, Wang X, Zhou L, et al. (2020) Early transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China, of novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia. N Engl J Med 382:1199-1207.
3. Wang D, Hu B, Hu C, Zhu F, Liu X, et al. (2020) Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus-Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA 323: 1061-1069
4. Guan WJ, Ni ZY, Hu Y, Liang WH, Ou CQ, et al. (2020) Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. N Engl J Med 382: 1708-1720.
5. World Health Organization (2020). WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the mission briefing on COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/ detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-mission-briefing-onCOVID-19.
6. Wang, C., Pan, R., Wan, X., Tan, Y., Xu, L., Ho, C. S., et al. (2020). Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. Int.; J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17:1729.
7. Mbaba AN, Ogolodom MP, Abam R, Akram M, Alazigha N, et al. (2021) Willingness of Health Care Workers to Respond to Covid-19 Pandemic in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Health Sci J. 15 No. 1: 802.
8. Selye, H., 1973. The evolution of the stress concept. Am. Scientist 61, 692–699.
9. Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., et al. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet 395, 912–920. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20) 30460-8.
10. Kang L., Ma S., Chen M., Yang J., Wang Y., Li R., Yao L., Bai H., Cai Z., Xiang Yang B., Hu S., Zhang K., Wang G., Ma C., Liu Z. Impact on mental health and perceptions of psychological care among medical and nursing staff in Wuhan during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease Outbreak: a cross-sectional study. Brain, Behav., Immun. 2020
11. Ferreri, F., Lapp, L. K., & Peretti, C. S. (2011). Current research on cognitiveaspects of anxiety disorders. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 24(1),
12. Ukaji N F, Ohagwu CC, Ogolodom MP. Effects of Variations in Imaging Parameters on Image Quality of Non Contrast Computed Tomography Scans of Brain: A Cross-sectional Study. JCDR. 2021, 15(10):TC13-TC15
13. Ogolodom, M., Okankwu, E. A. Chiegwu, H. U. Okeke, J. S. Joseph, D. Z. ., Ugwuanyi, D. C. Maduka, B. U. ., Egbeyemi, O. O. Nyenke, C. U, Egop, E. B. Occupational Stress Level and the Associated Factors among Intern Radiographers in Anambra State, Nigeria. Tropical Journal of Medical Research, 2022, 21(2), 1–9.
14. Ogolodom MP, Mbaba AN, Johnson J, Chiegwu HU, Ordu KS, Okej MC, et al. Knowledge and perception of healthcare workers towards the adoption of artificial intelligence in healthcare service delivery in Nigeria. AG Salud [Internet]. 2023 Oct. 31 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];1:16. Available from: https://salud.journalageditor.org/index.php/salud/article/view/16
15. Da Silva Junior F.J.G., Sales J.C.S., Monteiro C.F.d.S., Costa A.P.C., Campos L.R.B., Miranda P.I.G., Monteiro T.A.D.S., Lima R.A.G., Lopes-Junior L.C. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of young people and adults: A systematic review protocol of observational studies. BMJ Open. 2020;10:e039426.
16. Glowacz F, Schmits E. Psychological distress during the COVID-19 lockdown: The young adults most at risk. Psychiatry Res. 2020 Nov;293:113486
17. Padrón I, Fraga I, Vieitez L, Montes C, Romero E. A Study on the Psychological Wound of COVID-19 in University Students. Front Psychol. 2021 Jan 26;12:589927
18. Claudia Camacho-Zuñiga, Luis Pego, Jose Escamilla, Samira Hosseini, The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ feelings at high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels, Heliyon, 2021; 7(3): e06465.
19. Chaturvedi K., Vishwakarma D.K., Singh N. COVID-19 and its impact on education, social life and mental health of students: A survey. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 2021:105866.
20. Hmaza C., Ewing L., Heath N., Goldstein A. When Social Isolation Is Nothing New: A Longitudinal Study on Psychological Distress During COVID-19 Among University Students With and Without Preexisting Mental Health Concerns. Can. Psychol. 2021;62:20–30.
21. Woday Tadesse A, Mihret ST, Biset G, et al. Psychological problems and the associated factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown among college students in Amhara Region, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study BMJ Open 2021;11:e045623
22. Tadesse DB , Gebrewahd GT,Demoz GT.. Knowledge, attitude, practice and psychological response toward COVID-19 among nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak in northern Ethiopia. 2020, 2020
23. Imtiaz A , Hasan ME , Hossain MA.. Attitudes toward COVID-19 among young adults: role of psychological distress, 2020
24. Liang L ,Ren H , Cao R , et al . The effect of COVID-19 on youth mental health. Psychiatr Q 2020;91:841–52.
25. Qiu J, Shen B, Zhao M, Wang Z, Xie B, Xu Y. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: implications and policy recommendations. Gen Psychiatr. 2020 Mar 6;33(2):e100213
26. Negash A, Ahmed M, Medhin G, Wondimagegn D, Pain C, Araya M. Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Nov 27;14:1901-1913.
27. Salma, Rahmandani, Amalia, Kahija, Yohanis Franz La. Psychological Distress Among University Student: An Exploratory Study. Advanced Science Letters, 2017; 23(4):3471-3473
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Michael Promise Ogolodom , Clement Ugochukwu Nyenke , Sharonrose Ogouchukwu Nwadike , Evelyn Orevaoghene Onosakponome , Mark Chukwudi Okeji , Samson Omini Paulinus , Misael Ron , Awajimijan Nathaniel Mbaba , Sandra Udoh, Egop Brownson Egop (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.