Abstract
Background: The outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had an impact on students around the world. Research pertaining to the psychological effects of covid-19 on students have been conducted around the world and have shown that pandemics can have a consequential effect on the psychological state of an individual. However, little research has been conducted pertaining to the psychological responses among South African university students in response to the covid-19 pandemic. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the psychological responses and impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic among podiatry and EMC students during the year 2021, studying at the University of Johannesburg. Method: This was a cross-sectional, exploratory and quantitative study, conducted with the use of an online platform, QuestionPro™ for the participates to complete the anonymous questionnaire. Questions pertaining to the demographic data were added to the DASS-42 questionnaire which was used to measure the risk of depression, anxiety and stress experienced by each student. The research participants were invited via email to complete the online questionnaire which determined their psychological response during the 2021 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Procedure: The questionnaire together with the information letter and consent form was distributed via email to all registered podiatry and EMC students enrolled at the University of Johannesburg for the year 2021. Each participant received an email from the researcher explaining the process and purpose of this study with a link that directed the students to the online questionnaire. The participants score with regards to depression, anxiety and stress was automatically calculated after the completion of the questionnaire. If the participant had scored within the “severe and “extremely severe” category, they were advised to seek professional help from the Universities Centre for Psychological services and Career Development (PsyCad), in which contact details were made available for this purpose...
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)