“A STUDY TO ASSESS STRESS & ANXIETY AMONG IGNOU

& DELHI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS DURING COVID 19”

Master of arts (psychology) Synopsis

MAPC-
Submitted by :-
 Name – Pooja
 Enrollment no – 177494482
 Regional centre – RC DELHI 03
 Study center – 38013
 Year - 2022
 Guide – Dr LALITA DEVI
 E.mail – poojarahul1988@GMAIL.COM
 Phone - 8607861109
S.NO TABLE OF CONTENT

1 APPENDIX 3

2 APPENDIX 4

3 APPENDIX 1

4 GRADE CARD COPY

5 TITLE OF TOPIC

6 INTRODUCTION

7 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

8 SIGNIFICANCE/NEED OF THE STUDY

9 METHODOLOGY

10 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

11 HYPOTHESIS

12 SAMPLE DESCRIPTION

13 RESEARCH TOOLS

14 SCORING

15 VARIABLES

16 ANALYSIS OF DATA

17 REFERENCES
“A STUDY TO ASSESS STRESS &
ANXIETY AMONG IGNOU &
DELHI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
DURING COVID 19”
 INTRODUCTION

It is very obivious that there is an increase in psychological stressors among people during covid

19 pandemic. This covid 19 situation has affected everyone worldwide irrespective of age,

gender, profession, education, occupation etc. The crises caused by covid 19 has a sudden

increase in mental health concerns.

STRESS :

In today’s fast modern life days stress is a common thing. Even life without stress is not

possible. Everybody encounters stress at some point of their life. It is a very normal human

reaction towards uncontrolled events of life. It can be a frustration as well an emotional tension.

Stress not only comes from negative events but it can come from positive events as well. It

causes difficulty to lead overall healthy lifestyle. Stress can be a short term issue or a long term

problem depending on what changes in life. Basically stress is a natural feeling of not being able

to cope up with situations, events, demands etc. It is body’s natural defense against predators and

danger. It causes the body to flood with hormones that prepare its systems to evade or confront

danger. This is normally called fight and flight mechanism. Our body reacts towards stress by

releasing high amount of hormones. In stress body produces larger level of cortisol, epinephrine,

and norepinephrine which ultimately triggers other reactions in body like rapid heartbeat,

increased blood pressure, sweating, high glucose levels, liver dsyfunctions, digestion problems

etc. This is highly personalized phenomena that means it means different to people to people.

The situations causes stress may differ to people to people. Some people can deal with it better.

Stress is not always bad, even sometimes little stress can help us to motivate to do our work.

However stress can become chronic condition if continues to a longer period and may cause
serious health problems. The origin of much personal stress lies I our perception on our concepts

of itself. Low self esteem can also lead to a number of stress including problems and inability to

adapt willingness to place excessively high demands on yourself and lack of assertiveness. Those

with high self esteem handles stress with ease since a high self concept and confidence in their

abilities allows them to develop positive attitude towards the management of stress and enables

them to deal with stressful situations with calmness and clear thinking. People shows vary

responses over different situations.

TYPES OF STRESS –

There are several types of stress including:

1. acute stress(for smaller time)

2. episodic acute stress(in episodes basically)

3. chronic stress(for loner time)

1. Acute stress – It is basically a short term stress. It’s the body’s immediate reaction to a new

and challenging situation. It’s the kind of stress you might feel when you narrowly escape a car

accident. Acute stress can also come out of something that you actually enjoy. It’s the somewhat-

frightening, yet thrilling feeling you get on a roller coaster or when skiing down a steep

mountain slope. These incidents of acute stress don’t normally do you any harm. They might

even be good for you. Stressful situations give your body and brain practice in developing the

best response to future stressful situations. Once the danger passes, your body systems should

return to normal. Severe acute stress is a different story.

2. Episodic acute stress- Episodic acute stress is when you have frequent episodes of acute

stress. This might happen if you’re often anxious and worried about things you suspect may

happen. You might feel that your life is chaotic and you seemingly go from one crisis to the next.

Certain professions, such as law enforcement or firefighters, might also lead to frequent high-

stress situations. As with severe acute stress, episodic acute stress can affect your physical health

and mental well-being.

3. Chronic stress – It is basically a long term stress. When you have high-stress levels for a

longer period of time, you have chronic stress. Long-term stress like this can have a negative

impact on your health .

There’s no end to the things that can cause a person stress because they’re as varied as people

are. Whatever the cause, the effect on the body can be serious if left unmanaged.

ANXIETY :

When an individual faces potentially harmful or worrying triggers, feelings of anxiety are not

only normal but necessary for survival. Since the earliest days of humanity, the approach of

predators and incoming danger sets off alarms in the body and allows evasive action. These

alarms become noticeable in the form of a raised heartbeat, sweating, and increased sensitivity to

surroundings. The danger causes a rush of adrenalin, a hormone and chemical messenger in the

brain, which in turn triggers these anxious reactions in a process called the “fight-or-flight’

response. This prepares humans to physically confront or flee any potential threats to safety.
For many people, running from larger animals and imminent danger is a less pressing concern

than it would have been for early humans. Anxieties now revolve around work, money, family

life, health, and other crucial issues that demand a person’s attention without necessarily

requiring the ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction. The nervous feeling before an important life event or

during a difficult situation is a natural echo of the original ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction. It can still be

essential to survival – anxiety about being hit by a car when crossing the street, for example,

means that a person will instinctively look both ways to avoid danger. The duration or severity of

an anxious feeling can sometimes be out of proportion to the original trigger, or stressor.

Physical symptoms, such as increased blood pressure and nausea, may also develop. These

responses move beyond anxiety into an anxiety disorder. The APA describes a person with

anxiety disorder as “having recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns.” Once anxiety reaches the

stage of a disorder, it can interfere with daily function.

The causes of anxiety disorders are complicated. Many might occur at once, some may lead to
others, and some might not lead to an anxiety disorder unless another is present, Possible causes
include:

 environmental stressors, such as difficulties at work, relationship problems, or family

issues

 genetics, as people who have family members with an anxiety disorder are more likely to
experience one themselves

 medical factors, such as the symptoms of a different disease, the effects of a medication,
or the stress of an intensive surgery or prolonged recovery

 brain chemistry, as psychologists define many anxiety disorders as misalignments of

hormones and electrical signals in the brain
  withdrawal from an illicit substance, the effects of which might intensify the impact of
other possible causes

University studies are consideres as to be stressful period of life as this phase is a phase in which

an individual get the transition to be independent, adult life. Beginning studies can be stressful to

many students, as they need to establish new relationships , develop new studying habits related to

chosen program, cope with overwork, learn time management etc.

Considering the above along with the pandemic due to covid 19 , there may be increase in stress,

anxiety, depression etc in college students. Especially in the metropolitan city delhi, Mumbai,

Kolkata etc were highly affected, where everybody faced a mass covid unleashed unprecedented

devastation. Delhi faced a huge spike both in number of cases and death during first and second

wave.

Present study will aim to analyse the psychological impact of covid 19 pandemic on college

students of delhi university & Ignou university students , through the assessment of stress and

anxiety.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE :

According to a study by Fawaz M and Samaha (2021) stated that a sudden shift of e learning

methods caused anxiety, stress and depression among significant portion of students due to

stressful load of work.

According to a study by Aylie NS, Mekonen AM and Mekuria RM (2020) , stated in a study

on psychological impacts of covid 19 pandemic among university students in Bench-Sheko

Zone,South west Ethopia : that depression, anxiety and stress among college students were high

especially females.

According to a study by Ghazawy ER, Ewis AA, Mahfouz EM, Khalin DM, Arafa A and

Mohammed Z (2020) stated that Egyptia students expiriece varying levels of psychological

disturbance during covid 19 pandemic.

According to a study by Liu X, Liu J and Zhong X (2020) stated that during the covid 19

pandemic the anxiety and stress of college students increased significantly which was also

related to multiple factors.

According to a study by Wang C and Zhao (2020) claimed that undergraduate students during

covid 19 pandemic showed a higher level of outbreak of anxiety

According to a study by Rossi et al., 2020; Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordonez-Camblor, 2021 , One

consequence of the covid 19 pandemic and associated lockdowns and social distancing

measures has been a decrease in adolescent self-esteem and an associated increase in depression
Chinna K, Sundarasen S, Khoshaim HB, Kamaludin K, Nurunnabi M, Baloch GM, et al

(2020) have conducted research on psychological impact of covid 19 and lockdown on students.

Results indicated that student experienced anxiety during covid 19 pandemic..

NEED FOR THE STUDY –

The covid 19 pandemic has raised concerns about the mental health of world population.

Protection measures to prevent the disease impacted education and college students. People

Were exposed to additional stressors. This study will be conducted among college students of

delhi university and Ignou university students to assess the level of stress and anxiety during this

covid pandemic . This study will create a better understanding of covid 19 effects on effects on

anxiety and stress level in college students. After this study we will be able to know various

factors affecting stress level and anxiety level of college students in males and females. It will

increase our knowledge of stress and anxiety. These types of studies can be really helpful in

treating students suffering from psychological issues and academic performance issuses.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY –

 To study the stress level of students of delhi university & Ignou university during covid 19.

 To compare the percentage level of stress level between both groups during covid 19.

 To compare anxiety level of both groups during covid 19.

 To better understand stress and anxiety effects on college students.

 To know the various factors affecting anxiety and stress in DU & Ignou college students.

HYPOTHESIS –

A hypothesis is a tentative and testable statement which needs to be study. It is basically a

prediction about possible outcomes of the result of a study.It predicts the relationships between

two or more variables.

 There will be no significant difference between the stress level among Delhi university &

Ignou college students during covid 19..

 There will be no significant difference between the anxiety level among Delhi university

& Ignou college students during covid 19..

 There will be no significant difference between the anxiety level among Delhi university

& Ignou male and female students during covid 19..

 There will be no significant difference between the stress level among Delhi university

& Ignou male and female students during covid 19..

METHODOLOGY –

Following methodology will be used to study and examine the level of stress and anxiety level of

Du & Ignou university students:

SAMPLE –
Sample is the small portion of population. It is not possible to conduct study for entire

population. The nature of population would be female and male college students of delhi

university and Ignou university. This study would be conducted in some parts of India. As it is

difficult to study entire population, The total sample size would be 40 to 200 with equal

representation of crieteria selected. Age of samples would be 18 years and above and not more

then 30 years . Due to limited time and scope of the study samples would be selected according

to convenience of samples and researcher.

RESEARCH TOOLS –

Research tools are inventories and questionnaire which are used to collect data and conduct a

study.To fulfill the aims and objectives of the study following will be used –

 Stress Scale - This test is perfect to measure the stress. It was developed by Singh

(2004). The range of age was between 16 to 50 years. Test-retest reliability of the test

was found to be .82 and Validity is .61. Higher scores show higher stress level.

 Hamilton anxiety scale - It was developed by M. Hamilton, this widely-used interview

scale measures the severity of a patient's anxiety, based on 14 parameters, including

anxious mood, tension, fears, insomnia, somatic complaints and behavior at the

interview Internal consistency, Y alpha=0.77 to 0.92 ; Validity, Y, compared with clinical

assessment and Covid anxiety scale.

 Demographic data questionnaire – We will use this scale to assess basic data of

individuals and to note various factors affecting them during covid 19.
SCORING – Scoring would be done on standard scoring norms of these tools. Every

sample’s test will take atleast 60 minutes. Total scores of each test would be considered as final

scores of inventories.

VARIABLES –

In research science, variable refers to factors or conditions that can change during the

course of experiment. In researcher attempt to change only one of these variable at a time

so that their is no confusion about what needs to be changed. Varibales can be two or

more. Following are the variables for present study.

 Anxiety - Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts

and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually

have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns.

 Stress - It is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or

thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body's reaction to

a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you

avoid danger or meet a deadline.

 History of covid 19 – It referes to person infected from covid 19.

ANALYSIS OF DATA –

The data will be collected from online surveys and face to face interviews randomly . Rapport will

be establish with sanples and they will be given clear instructions regarding the test. Privacy of

respondents will be maintained. The collected data will be analysed with the help of simple

percentage analysis or Mean, Standard deviation, T-test etc methods.

 Standard deviation analysis – It is one of the basic statistical tools which is widely used

in the analysis and interpretation of the main data. The standard deviation is a summary

measure of the differences of each observation from the mean.

 T-test – the independent samples t-test wil be used when two separate sets of independent

and identically distributed samples ere obtained one from each of the two populations being

compared.

 Karl pearson method - Karl Pearson's coefficient of correlation is an extensively used

mathematical method in which the numerical representation is applied to measure the

level of relation between linearly related variables.

REFERENCES :

Fawaz M and Samaha A (2021). E learning: depression, anxiety and stress symptomalogy

among university students during covid 19 pandemic.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition (American

Psychological Association, 2009) ISBN 1433805618.

Ghazawy et al (2020). Psychological impacts of covid 19 pandemic on the university

students in Egypt. Health prompt Int. 2021 Aug 30,36(4)1116-1125.

Aylie NS, Mekonen AM and Mekuria RM (2020) . The psychological impacts of covid 19

pandemic among university students in Bench-Sheko Zone,South west Ethopia : A cross

sectional study.

Liu X, Liu J and Zhong X (2020). Psychological state of college students during covid 19

pandemic. Preprints with the LANCET ( number:2018ZX10721102-005)

Rossi et al., 2020; Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordonez-Camblor, 2021, concequences of covid 19 on

social distancing and self esteem.

Wang C and Zhao (2020), The impact of covid 19 on anxiety in Chinese university

students. Tianjin social sciences planning of peoject to CW and teaching Reforms projects

of Nankai University in 2019 to 2020 to HZ.

Websites used :

https://www.sciencedirect.com/

https://www.researchgate.net/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/

https://www.psychnewsdaily.com/psychology-websites-the-15-best-psychology-websites-as-

of-may-2021/
https://www.psypost.org/2016/09/top-best-psychology-websites-articles-information-44974

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00091/full

https://positivepsychology.com/rosenberg-self-esteem-scale-questionnaires/