CHANDIGARH: The continued disruption in regular classes for a span of over a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic is impacting the mental health of students in Punjab and Haryana due to uncertainty over studies, shows a study covering students of different colleges and universities.
The pandemic-induced online learning has not been well received by most of the students as they have been subjected to mental stress and anxiety due to loss in learning and fear of failure. According to the study, this stress can lead to uneasiness, misery and negative motivation to hurt themselves.
As many as 844 undergraduate and postgraduate students were part of the study, in which over 88% of the participants reported fear of loss of studies during the pandemic and complained of being stressed over not being able to clear the examination due to disruption in regular studies.
About 76% of the students complained about loss of learning due to lack of physical classes and becoming lazy due to lack of physical activities in the home environment.
Little over 85% of students reported that their college/institute offers online classes daily. Nearly 52% of students also conceded that the homely environment resulted in lapse of concentration and 71% of students showed a lack of enthusiasm for online classes. Above 15% of students said they attended online classes for the sole purpose of attendance.
Raising questions about the effectiveness of online learning, just over 89% of students were able to understand the lecture delivered online while 78% faced accessibility problems. About 32% of students were unable to understand the online lectures.
The study, undertaken by Dr Gurjant Singh and Dr Shana Quraishi of Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, recommended that the educational institutions and the state governments should collaborate to provide mental support to the students and help them overcome the fear and challenges being faced during the pandemic.
The study published in Psychological Studies, journal of the National Academy of Psychology (NAOP), concluded that the students are facing challenges in studies during the pandemic, resulting in mental stress due to uncertainty over the studies and completion of syllabus along with the understanding of subjects. “This stress itself may lead to increased panic, forcing the students to take unwanted and harsh decisions to avoid disappointment or failure. Lesser physical activities might be another factor affecting the mental learning of students,” the study said.
