Mental Health Study of the Top-ranked Private University Students in Bangladesh during the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to investigate mental health as a social issue among the Health and Life Sciences undergraduate students of North South University (NSU) during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As social issues, depression and anxiety were the primary concerns to study. A standardized online questionnaire regarding the social and demographic status and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression were utilized for the present study. The link was shared through several social media groups of NSU. A total of 264 students took part in the study. Among the respondents, 159 were female, and 105 were male. Besides, 48 participants (18.2%) were in a state of severe depression, and 75 (28.4%) were in a state of severe anxiety. It is anticipated that the university authority should identify and prevent mental health problems among students more effectively. As very few studies have been conducted on this issue of mental health concerning social issues in Bangladesh to cover private universities during the early days of the pandemic, this study may work as one of the initial investigations to trigger more in-depth research.