Generalised anxiety in Slovenian university students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Podlesek, Anja (author), Kavcic, Voyko (author)

Pandemija covida-19 je po vsem svetu povzročila negotovost, strahove in skrbi ter s tem povečala možnost pojavljanja anksioznosti. V spletni anketi, ki smo jo izvedli aprila 2020 na vzorcu Slovencev, starih 18 let in več, smo zbrali podatke o generalizirani anksioznosti, nevroticizmu, psihosocialni ranljivosti, izgubi zaznanega nadzora in vplivu različnih z epidemijo povezanih težav. Prispevek predstavlja rezultate 110 študentov (med njimi 78 % žensk) ter jih primerja z rezultati neštudentov (n = 779). Ugotovili smo, da so bili za študente v primerjavi z ostalimi udeleženci značilni višja gene-ralizirana anksioznost, večja izguba zaznanega nadzora in večji vpliv težav, povezanih z epidemijo. Pri študentih je bila generalizirana anksioznost pozitivno povezana z vplivom z epidemijo povezanih omejitev, izgubo zaznanega nadzora in nevroticizmom. Študija izpostavlja dejavnike tveganja za generalizirano anksioznost študentov med zdravstveno krizo in podaja možne usmeritve za razvoj preventivnih ukrepov.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: pandemije, epidemije, koronavirus, COVID-19, anksioznost, generalizirana anksioznost, zaznani nadzor, stres, študenti, Vprašalnik generalizirane anksioznosti, Lestvica zaznanega stresa PSS-4
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 322-341
• Numbering: Letn. 72
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-125375
• UDC: [159.9:616.89-008.441]:616-036.22-057.875
• ISSN on article: 0038-0474
• COBISS.SI-ID: 54613507
• Publication date in RUL: 12.03.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Sodobna pedagogika
• Shortened title: Sodob. pedagog.
• Publisher: Zveza društev pedagoških delavcev Slovenije
• ISSN: 0038-0474
• COBISS.SI-ID: 761348

Secondary language

• Language: English

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused increased fears, worries and uncertainty worldwide, thus also increasing the potential for anxiety. Using an online survey conducted in April 2020 with a sample of Slovenian participants aged 18 and over, we collected data on generalised anxiety, neuroticism, psychosocial vulnerability, loss of perceived control and the impact of various difficulties encountered during the pandemic. This paper presents the results of 110 university students and compares these results with those of a non-student sample (n = 779). We found that students experienced higher levels of generalised anxiety, loss of perceived control and pandemic-related difficulties than non-students. Among students, generalised anxiety was positively associated with the perceived impact of pandemic--related restrictions, loss of perceived control and neuroticism. This study sheds light on risk factors for generalised anxiety among students during the health crisis and shows possible directions for the development of preventive interventions.

• Keywords: pandemics, epidemics, coronavirus, anxiety, generalised anxiety, perceived control, stress, college students, Generalized anxiety disorder assessment GAD-7, The perceived stress scale PSS-4

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P5-0110
• Name: Psychological and neuroscientific aspects of cognition