Post-pandemic anxiety symptoms in medical students by returning to face-to-face classes

Abstract

Introduction: The impact on the mental health of university students during the pandemic is an issue that progressively gained importance worldwide. Disorders such as depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal ideation, substance use, and sleep disturbances during confinement were documented by various authors. Research papers on what happens to students’ mental health when they return to face-to-face classes after the pandemic exists in smaller quantities.

Objective: To determine the level of anxiety in medical students at the return to face-to-face classes after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic variables were collected from the participants through an online survey and, in order to determine the presence of GAD, the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) survey was applied as well.

Results: 141 students were surveyed, 112 (79.4%), women and 29 (20.6%) men, the mean age was 21.43 years. It was found that 110 (78%) students had some degree of anxiety where 48.3% had moderate and severe symptoms. There were no significant differences between the cases with anxiety and without anxiety regarding sex and preference of modality to take classes, as well as between the experiences and expectations upon the return to face-to-face classes.

Conclusions: Elevated levels of anxiety were found in students, however, experiences during confinement and fears about returning to school did not have a statistically significant association for the presence of these symptoms.