Anxiety, self-efficacy, and their determinants in school students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey in Southeastern Iran.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to various psychological disorders, including anxiety, particularly among the general public. It is crucial to monitor the mental health of school students, who are considered a vulnerable group in society, and assess their self-efficacy, as it can significantly affect their mental health. This study aimed to investigate the levels of anxiety and self-efficacy among school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilized convenience sampling to examine a sample of 335 school students from Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran. An online questionnaire, distributed through social media platforms, was used to collect data. The questionnaire included demographic information, COVID-19 related items, the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children-MASC, and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children-SEQ-C. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS version 24, with a significance level set at < 0.05. RESULTS: The study revealed a significant negative correlation between children's anxiety and self-efficacy (r = -0.23, P < 0.001). Several factors were identified as predictors of anxiety, including low self-efficacy (ß = -0.29, P < 0.001), female gender (ß = 0.27, P < 0.001), concern about family members contracting COVID-19 (ß = 0.18, P < 0.001), persistent advice of others to adopt preventive measures (ß = 0.14, P < 0.005), level of education (ß = -0.12, P < 0.017), and perceived risk of COVID-19 infection (ß = -0.11, P < 0.030). These variables collectively accounted for 17% of the variance in anxiety. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study highlight the importance of addressing the mental health of school students, specifically their anxiety levels, during epidemics. The results also indicate that enhancing self-efficacy among students during a pandemic could be a beneficial strategy for promoting their mental health.

Depression and Self-Efficacy Among Iranian Children During the Prevalence of COVID-19 Disease.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has quickly endangered the physical and mental health of people in the community, particularly vulnerable people such as children. This study was carried out to investigate the depression and self-efficacy of Iranian children during the COVID-19 outbreak. This cross-sectional research was conducted on 321 students aged 8 to 17 in southeast Iran. A social media-based online questionnaire was used to collect data. The information was gathered using demographic and COVID-related items, the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C). No significant correlation was observed between depression and self-efficacy of children (P = 0.23). However, in subscale of CDI, negative mood, ineffectiveness and negative self-esteem had a significant correlation with self-efficacy (<0.001). Depression had a significant correlation with family income (p = 0.017), being at risk of coronavirus infection (p = 0.036), effectiveness of preventive measures (p = 0.015) and how information about the coronavirus disease was obtained (p = 0.018). According to the results, the mean score of depression was higher than the midpoint of the questionnaire in Iranian children, therefore, it is needed to take the necessary measures and treatment plans to reduce the rate of depression in children. Further research is needed to assess and prevent childhood depression.

Does attachment style predict quality of life in youth? A cross-sectional study in Iran.

The attachment can be considered as a specific behavioral pattern that is critical to healthy growth in most communities. Medical students are exposed to high levels of psychological stress while being equipped with lower levels of resilience. This study aims to determine the relationship between attachment style and the quality of life of medical students. In this cross-sectional correlational study, 150 students of Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences in 2018 were selected based on convenience sampling with consideration of inclusion criteria. Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS) and Quality of life questionnaire (SF- 36) were used as data gathering scale. The data were analyzed with SPSS ver.19 using the Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression. The participants' mean quality of life score was 74.2 ± 16.7. In attachment style, 48.7% of the participants had secure attachment, 26.0% avoidant attachment, and 25.0% ambivalent attachment. The results of this study indicated a significant direct correlation between the quality of life scores and secure attachment style (p value <0.000). Also, there was a significant inverse correlation between the quality of life score and ambivalent attachment style (p value <0.000). Attachment style predicted students' quality of life. Moreover, the role of Attachment style highlighted potential areas for intervention to improve medical student well-being and provide a foundation for longitudinal follow-up.