Factors determining psychological stress among Indian adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 outbreak

• Published in: Indian journal of social psychiatry : official publication of Indian Association for Social Psychiatry 2021-01, Vol.37 (1), p.82-87
• Main Authors: Agarwal, Neha, Harikar, Mandara, Shukla, Rishi, Bajpai, Anurag
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adolescents; Analysis; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Gender; Higher education; Pandemics; perceived stress scale-10; psychological stress; Stress in children; Surveys; Teenagers; Young adults; Youth
• ISSN: 0971-9962; 2454-8316
• DOI: 10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_246_20

Background: Strict isolation measures imposed during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have confined families in their homes, interrupted functioning of schools and colleges, and disrupted play and exploration time. Aim: The aim was to analyze psychological stress and its determinants among Indian adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: A cross-sectional, observational study design was adopted. A semi-structured survey including demographic details, COVID-19 awareness, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and coping methods was distributed among 12-24 year olds, and analyzed to study the determinants of stress. Results: Out of a total of 235 (112 males; 19.4 ± 4.0 years) participants, nearly half of the participants (53%) reported moderate stress; low stress was perceived by 42.3% and severe stress was observed in 4.7%. The mean PSS score was 13.4 ± 8.9. Higher PSS score was associated with age (r = 0.194, P = 0.003), female gender (mean rank = 132.0, P = 0.001), higher education (mean rank = 154.5, P = 0.006), salaried occupation (mean rank = 143.79, P = 0.047), dissatisfaction with the available information (mean rank = 155.64, P = 0.009), and accessing information multiple times a day (mean rank = 133.51, P = 0.041). On multivariate linear regression analysis, age, gender, dissatisfaction with the available information, and higher frequency of accessing information were identified as significant correlates of mean PSS-10 score. Conclusion: Stress was highly prevalent among the Indian adolescents and young adults during the pandemic. Older age, female gender, higher education, salaried job, dissatisfaction toward the available information, and a tendency to view updates frequently were associated with higher stress levels.