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

• Main Authors: Neha Agarwal, Mandara Muralidhar Harikar, Rishi Shukla, Anurag Bajpai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry
• Subjects: adolescents; covid-19; perceived stress scale-10; psychological stress
• Online Access: http://www.indjsp.org/article.asp?issn=0971-9962;year=2021;volume=37;issue=1;spage=82;epage=87;aulast=Agarwal

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.