The aim of this study was to investigate the
prevalence of anxiety and depression among a
population of exact and natural science university students from Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
(BUAP)-México under COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, we explored influencing factors pertaining to
the online learning environment at home. A total of 502 college students; 192
men (38.2%) and 310 women (61.8%) participated in this cross-sectional
web-based survey. A Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (GADS) standardized
e-questionnaire was generated using Google Forms, and the link was shared
through email. The data collection process was conducted during voluntary
COVID-19 lockdown during the second university semester (October-November, 2020) and before the final
exams period. The data recovered was analyzed in three consecutive levels,
including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis. The college
students experienced high levels of anxiety and depression. The sampled
population of men and women was 75.5% and 92.3% respectively measured positive
for anxiety, whereas depression was measured at 63.5% and 78.4% respectively.
Factors influencing at-home e-learning
such as internet connection quality, internet cost, status of owning or sharing
a PC, inhabitants per household and length of academic program completed were
correlated positively with high prevalence (>60%
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