Abstract

The aim of the current study is to examine the Mental Health of Post Graduate students at Kazi Nazrul University during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Paschim Bardhaman District of West Bengal, India, using the Descriptive method, specifically the normative survey strategy. As representative samples of the population as a whole, 150 Post Graduate students (47 males and 103 females) from Kazi Nazrul University in Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal were considered. Post Graduate students were selected using simple random sampling. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data was analysed using the mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, and regression analysis. The study revealed that the Mental Health of the Post Graduate students was average or moderate during the COVID-19 pandemic. As revealed by this study, the Mental Health of Post Graduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic were not significantly different between their Gender (Male-Female), Locality (Rural-Urban) and Stream (Arts, Science, and Commerce). Further, it was found that Gender, Locality, and Stream did not have any significant impact on mental health.

1. Introduction

Education is the mechanism by which learning is facilitated or information, abilities, beliefs and behaviors are acquired. Mental Health and Education, working together to serve the needs of emotionally disturbed students. Goal number three of 17^th sustainable development talks about Good Health and Well-being. Sustainable development necessitates the promotion of healthy lifestyles and well-being at all ages. COVID-19 is causing human suffering, wreaking havoc on the global economy, and upsetting the lives of billions of people all over the world ¹. COVID-19 and other health problems pose a worldwide threat, emphasizing the necessity of being ready. The pandemic marks a turning point in public health disaster preparedness and government investment essential in 21^st century services ¹. Threats, whether perceived or real, as well as uncertainty or uncertainty cause fear, worry, and stress. The fear that people are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic is reasonable and understandable ². Because of this fear, worry and stress people’s mental health is being damaged. Mental health is complementary to the overall health of the individual. Adjusting to one’s self and the social environment is the hallmark of healthy mental health, symptoms of health ³. Mental health is a condition of well-being in which a person recognizes his or her own potential, can manage with typical life challenges, work creatively and fruitfully, and contribute to his or her community, World Health Organization, 1948 ⁴.

In December 2019, China experienced an outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), it is a catastrophic calamity that has exploded at the speed of light across the world ⁵. On 30^th January 2020, COVID-19 has been confirmed in India for the first time. The World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed the COVID-19 outbreak and illness known as coronavirus a global public health emergency on March 11, 2020 ⁵. The drastic changes that have taken place in our lives due to the coronavirus pandemic have greatly increased our mental anxiety. On March 19, 2020, the Indian government imposed a ‘Public Curfew’ against the Coronavirus disease. COVID-19, a recent global public health disaster, is putting the population's psychological resilience to an ongoing tragedy to the test. This is true not only for those who have COVID-19, but also for those who will be quarantined for an extended period of time during a lockdown ⁶. In order to avoid becoming infected, keep a distance of three feet in people and wear a mask. To minimize the terrible effects of COVID-19 on Western countries, India imposed a countywide lockdown on March 25^th, allowing only essential and basic utilities such as groceries and pharmacy to operate ⁷. COVID-19 had afflicted over 200 nations and territories there were 3,090,445 confirmed cases and 217,769 deaths globally as of April 30, 2020 ⁵. One of the worst healthcare and economic disasters in recent history has been the COVID-19 epidemic ⁸. In this backdrop, the economy of a country and the economic well-being of individuals are both badly impacted. When the supply chain is disrupted, food, resources, and personal protective equipment become scarce ⁷. A shortage of food, resources, and personal protective equipment resulted from a reduction in the supply Chain. It imposes a financial strain on society and creates an economic imbalance, especially in developing countries such as India ⁷. People's lives were drastically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown ⁹.

In higher education, mental health issues among students are becoming more prevalent ¹⁰. During the 2019-2020 academic years most universities in the India were compelled to send their students home early due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, in order to prevent the blowout of the virus and protect students and the surrounding communities ¹¹. Students faced distinct challenges as a result of a sudden change in their surroundings, and other situations, all of which has a harmful effect on their mental health ¹¹. The impact of COVID-19 on academic activities, daily lives (social isolation), and economic prospects caused university students to become more anxious ⁹. The epidemic of COVID-19 has had a major influence on university students’ mental health ¹². University students have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic because it is the last stage of their formal education. Anxiety and despair are examples of emotional issues that can have a big impact on a student's overall fitness and performance. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the educational system ¹².

When compared to the general population, university students are particularly exposed to the negative consequences of quarantine. During previous lockdowns, university students have been shown to be particularly prone to mental health issues ¹³. The COVID-19 epidemic has raised awareness of those who have been affected by mental health. Fear and worry for oneself or loved ones, restrictions on physical movement and social activities due to quarantine, and dramatic and drastic lifestyle changes are all known to magnify or develop new stressors during epidemics. In a recent study on virus outbreaks and pandemics, stressors such as infection fears, dissatisfaction, boredom, insufficient resources, insufficient information, financial loss, and stigma were identified ¹⁴. The pandemic had an impact on students as well. Many campuses around the world have closed, and classes have been moved to online platforms ⁹. Students' mental health is very vital in higher education for their achievement, and it is also very important to preserve mental health for social interaction, but students' mental health is deteriorating as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health is very important in human life, and this COVID-19 pandemic, especially mental health is important for everyone, because if our mind is healthy, our body is also healthy. And if our mental health is bad, it has a great impact on our physical health. Physical health and mental health are inextricable linked. A positive and healthy mind can change the whole world positively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone's mental health is at risk, especially students' mental health, if they are healthy, they - will be able to complete the study in a smooth manner along with daily activities. Student can face any kind of challenge to deal with the pandemic, if a student’s mental health is good; he/she will be able to adopt normally to his/her family and society in this COVID-19 situation. In this COVID-19 situation, mental health plays a very important role in making quick decisions.

In 2021, the spread of the Coronavirus has brought the world into a more precarious situation. Thousands of people are being infected with the Coronavirus, and the number of deaths is increasing. Subsequently, in April-May 2021, the situation in COVID-19 becomes even direr. During the day, millions of people become infected with COVID and the death toll continued to rise dramatically. In this situation, the West Bengal government declared a lockdown in the state for the second time from May 16, 2021. As a result, many people have had a variety of issues, with the lockdown having a particularly negative influence on their mental health. Post Graduate students were more prone than ordinary students to experience mental illness during the COVID-19 epidemic. Furthermore, financial issues, academic disruptions, family health concerns, and COVID-19 stressors all had a negative impact on Post Graduate students' anxiety levels. Keeping this in mind, the researchers decided to conduct a systematic and objective study on Mental Health Post Graduate students during COVID-19. The researchers plan to conduct their research at Kazi Nazrul University in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman area.

2. Literature Review

Nami et al. ¹⁵ discussed the concept of mental health and the importance of boosting mental health among university students, evaluates the current state of psychological disorders, and investigates the actions done to enhance mental health among university students According to the findings, 37.37% of the students are suspected of having mental illnesses. Bostani et al. ¹⁶ investigated the relationship between mental health and academic performance in athletes and non-athletes at the Islamic Azad University Ahvaz branch in Iran. Total health and certain of its components, such as sorrow and anxiety, were found to have a significant link with educational performance, although other components, such as physical symptoms and social performance concerns, did not. In conclusions it is said that, the better a student's mental health is, the better their educational achievement is, despite the fact that it appears that other elements, as well as their interactional effects, have an impact on students' educational achievement. Gonzales et al. ¹⁷ look at the mental health issues among LGBT college students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over half of LGBT college students (45.7%) have direct families who do not support or are uninformed of their LGBT identity, according to the data. Over 60% of LGBT college students’ experienced psychological distress, worry, and despair throughout the epidemic. Savage et al. ¹⁸ examined the UK university students' mental health and movement behaviours, as well as the relationships between changes in mental health and movement behaviours, during the COVID-19 epidemic. The COVID-19 epidemic is having a severe impact on the mental health and movement habits of UK university students, albeit no link was found between the two. Sayeed et al. ¹⁹ the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Bangladeshi students' mental health was explored. About 26.66% of students said they had mild to severe anxiety symptoms, 61.97% said they had mild to severe depression symptoms, and 57.05% said they had low to extremely high stress levels. According to multivariate logistic regression, students' age, gender, family income, residence, and family size are all associated to mental health difficulties. Negative assessments of the pandemic's impact on life events, mental health, disruptions in education and the health-care system, existing physical health difficulties, and COVID-19-like symptoms were all linked to poor mental outcomes. Son et al. ²⁰ studied the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students' mental health. Researchers interviewed 195 students at a well-known public university in the United States to learn more about the epidemic's effects on their mental health and well-being. Wang et al. ¹² investigated the status of the mental health status of nationwide students in Changsha City, China. The results exposed that, the institution should explore increasing acute and long-term mental support programmes for foreign students. Moghe et al. ⁷ investigated the personal, social, and psychological effects of the COVID-19 on the mental health of students aged 16 to 25. To determine the pattern of mental health disorders during the pandemic, a comparison analysis based on gender and background was performed. The findings revealed that an overall increase in mental health consciousness among students, and that significant improvement is possible with programs/strategies that focus on background and gender. In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, Zhai and Du ²¹ carried out a study on focusing collegiate mental health. The COVID-19 epidemic is affecting the mental health of college students and emphasises the urgent need to understand these challenges and concerns in order to inform the development of action and public mental health messaging courses that can better support college students as a result of this crisis. Copeland et al. ²² have done a study on the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on first-year college students' emotions, behaviour, and wellness behaviours. COVID and related educational / governmental mitigation strategies had a minor but long-lasting effect on first-year university students' mood and wellness behaviours, according to the study's findings. Colleges should be prepared to deal with the epidemic's long-term mental health impacts. Faisal et al. ²³ anxiety, depressive symptoms, and mental health status among university students in Bangladesh were discovered and analysed. According to the findings, 40% of the patients experienced moderate to severe anxiety, 72% had depressive symptoms, and 53% had a poor to bad mental health status. Furthermore, path analysis demonstrated that anxiety and knowledge about COVID-19 were linked to moderate to poor mental health, while knowledge and belief about the severity of COVID-19 in Bangladesh were linked to depressive symptoms. As a result, mental health issues were shown to be common among Bangladeshi university students, and COVID-19 anxiety predicted psychopathology symptoms. Visser and Law-van Wyk ⁹ have carried out a study on the mental health and emotional well-being of university students during the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown. During the lockdown, students reported difficulty coping with psychological challenges: 45.6% and 35.0%, respectively, reported subjective symptoms of anxiety and depression. On the mental health continuum, students scored poorly. The most serious emotional challenges were caused by students' severe discomfort during lockdown, difficulty adjusting intellectually, and feeling socially alienated. Female students, students in their first years of education, and students living in informal settlements were the most vulnerable to emotional problems. Students' optimism was the best predictor of mental wellness. Arslan et al. ²⁴ the impact of meaning in life on total mental health, defined as the absence of psychopathological symptoms and the presence of excellent functioning, was explored. The study's main findings backed up the importance of meaning in life in promoting overall mental health and shed further insight on why people with a high sense of purpose in life have better mental health than people with a low sense of meaning in life.

Investigators have reviewed several literatures related to the mental health of students from 2013 to 2022. From the above review of related literatures, the COVID-19 epidemic has been proven to have impacted students' personal, social, and psychological elements. Anxiety levels among university students have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students in the home-quarantine have struggled academically because to the consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic on their mental health and well-being. However, there is a dearth of research that examine by the Investigators not much research work has been done on Mental Health of Students during COVID-19 pandemic in India, most of the work has been done Abroad at higher education level. So, Investigators have intended to work in Mental Health of PG Students during COVID-19 Pandemic of Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal. Investigators reviewed Indian and Abroad studies and identified the gaps for doing their research. After review, the researchers found that the increased levels of mental health of PG or University students were not seen in the COVID-19 pandemic. During the review, the investigators discovered that little research on the mental health of PG students during the COVID-19 pandemic had been done in India, with the majority of the work being done outside. As a result, investigators focused on the mental health of PG students at Kazi Nazrul University in the Paschim Bardhaman District of West Bengal during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

3. Objectives of the Study

1. To determine the Mental Health of Post Graduate students in Kazi Nazrul University during COVID-19 pandemic.

2. To compare the Mental Health of PG Male and Female students throughout COVID-19 pandemic.

3. To compare the Mental Health of PG Rural and Urban students during COVID-19 pandemic.

4. To compare the Mental Health of PG Arts, Science and Commerce students during COVID-19 pandemic.

5. To explore the Interaction Effect of demographic variables (Gender, Locality and Stream) on Mental Health during COVID-19 pandemic.

4. Hypotheses of the Study

The hypotheses were formulated in null form:

H₀₁: There is low level of Mental Health of Post Graduate students in Kazi Nazrul University during COVID-19 pandemic.

H₀₂: There is no significant difference between the Mental Health of PG Male and Female students throughout COVID-19 pandemic.

H₀₃: There is no significant difference between the Mental Health of PG Rural and Urban students during COVID-19 pandemic.

H₀₄: There is no significant differences among the Mental Health of PG Arts, Science and Commerce students during COVID-19 pandemic.

H₀₅: There is no significant Interaction Effect of demographic variables (Gender, Locality and Stream) on Mental Health during COVID-19 pandemic.

5. Methodology

In this study, the descriptive survey method was applied. Descriptive research refers to the collection of detailed information about an event that is currently prevalent or ongoing and to make appropriate generalizations based on it. This type of research is not limited to data research. It is often used to address various local, district, state, national and international issues. And survey method is used in cases where current variables or variables cannot be controlled or required.

The study was encircled to the Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal. The survey was also enclosed to Kazi Nazrul University Post Graduate students in the Paschim Bardhaman district. Only Semesters 2^nd and 4^th PG students were taken as topics of the current investigation.

The population of this study was made up of all Post Graduate students in the Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal.

A total of 150 Kazi Nazrul University Post Graduate students from the Paschim Bardhaman district were chosen as a representative sample of the entire population. The Post Graduate students were chosen using a simple random sampling procedure.

A questionnaire was constructed and developed by the researchers to assess the mental health of Post Graduate students throughout COVID 19 period. The questionnaire consists of 36 questions. There are four points in the questionnaire such as: Not at all (0), Several Days (1), More than half the days (2) and Nearly everyday (3). At this juncture low score indicates high mental health and vice versa. Then investigators created a Google form with these 36 questions due to COVID 19. The link is https://forms.gle/wt6NZd7rsK8Mr4fR6. It was sent out via email and the widely used social media platform WhatsApp in order to learn more about students' mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire has two sections, one containing demographic information about the students and the other containing questions about their mental health.

The obtained data was analyzed and the hypotheses were verified using mean, SD, t-test, ANOVA, and regression analysis.

6. Results & Discussions

There is low level of mental health of Post Graduate students in Kazi Nazrul University during COVID-19 pandemic.

The investigators confirmed the H₀₁ with the help of the cut-off point. M + 1σ is the Cut-off Point in this case. It translates to Mean=53.5, N=150, and 13.7. As a result, M +1 σ is 53.5 + 1× 13.7 = 67.2, whereas M -1σ is 53.5-1×13.7 =39.8. The majority of Post Graduate Students (113 in total), or 75.33 percent, had scores between 39.8 and 67.2. As a result, the level of Mental Health of Post Graduate Students in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman District is neither high nor low during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating a moderate or medium level of Mental Health. Here low score indicates high mental health and vice versa.

The reason for the moderate or average level of mental health of the PG students of Kazi Nazrul University throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is that there was probably no extra pressure from the students’ home and the university during the pandemic. Their mental health has not been low level due to the help of their teachers, friends and university authorities to overcome the obstacles they have faced. Again, we know that in addition to studying in this COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in the students not having a high level of mental health. The present finding corroborates with other finding conducted by Son et al. ²⁰, students in the college are considered because the concerns of students during COVID-19 are very risky for mental health. It was found that the college students’ mental health was moderate during pre-COVID-19 pandemic.

Gender (Male & Female)

The independent sample t-test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in the Mental Health of PG male and female students. Using Jamovi software, the results demonstrated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no significant difference (p=0.935) in the Mental Health of PG male (N=47, M=53.6, SD=11.7) and PG female (N=103, M=53.4, SD=14.6) pupils.

From the finding it was explored that mental health of PG female students is comparatively little bit of difference than the PG male students as grater score indicates lower mental health and lower score indicates higher mental health. Thus, PG female students were little affected compared to PG male students. The mental health of female students is little stronger than that of PG male students because male have more anxiety and fear than female. It is also fact that the male students are more affected by future thoughts and fears than that of female students. Male is generally considered to be an earning member of the family, but the closure of every work place, schools, colleges and the universities by the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on their mental health and the current finding corroborates with other finding conducted by Moghe et al. ⁷.

Locality (Rural & Urban)

The independent sample t-test was used to assess whether there was a significant difference in Mental Health between PG Rural and Urban pupils. Using Jamovi software, the results revealed that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no significant difference (p=0.781) in the Mental Health of PG rural (N=91, M=53.2, SD=12.2) and PG urban (N=59, M=53.8, SD=15.8) students.

From the finding it was revealed that the PG urban students are comparatively little bit of weaker in their mental health than PG rural students as grater score indicates lower mental health and lower score indicates higher mental health. The reason that the mental health of PG urban students is lower than that of rural students is due to lockdown across the country due to the COVID-19. Urban students were locked up at home due to the lockdown and could not meet any friends during the time they spent on social media. COVID-19 didn’t have much impact in rural areas, rural students were able to spend a little time outdoors with friends. Thus, the mental health of PG rural students was better than that of PG urban students. The present finding corroborates with other finding conducted by Moghe et al. ⁷.

Streams (Arts, Science & Commerce)

At the 0.01 and 0.05 level of significance, the computed F-value (1.770) is smaller than the critical value of F (4.82 & 3.09) for 2 and 147 df. As a result, the H₀₄ is accepted, indicating that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no significant difference in the mental health of PG Arts, Science, and Commerce students.

It is found that the mean mental health score of PG arts students M=53.5, SD=14.5, the PG Science students M=55.4, SD=10.9, and the PG Commerce students M=46.2, SD=12.5. Commerce students had a high level of mental health because at this time they may not have faced any academic and financial problems. They may have received a lot of help from their family, friends and teachers in their studies, so the mental health of PG Commerce students was at high level from the PG Arts and Science students. The result revealed that the mental health of the PG Arts students may have been moderate because they may have been a little worried about COVID-19 and their studies. It also shows that the mental health of PG Science students is low level of mental health because they have to take classes through online due to the COVID-19 outbreak which has prevented Science students from taking their practical classes which has affected their mental health. This finding is exceptional from other studies it is a unique finding.

From the above table, it is seen that the three independent variables i. e. Gender, Locality and Stream have no significant impact on Mental Health because sig. value of these three independent variables is greater than 0.05 level of significance.

It is found that the three independent variables i.e. Gender, Locality and Stream have no significant impact on Mental Health because sig. value of these three independent variables is greater than 0.05 level of significance. This finding is exceptional from other studies it is a unique finding.

7. Limitations

This study has a few drawbacks, which are as follows:

1. The study is limited to just one university, Kazi Nazrul University.

2. The population chosen is restricted to pupil of Post Graduate level.

3. A questionnaire in google form was utilized in this study to assess Mental Health.

4. In this study, just email and WhatsApp were employed to collect data.

8. Educational Implications

There are the educational implications of the research:

a) Mental health plays a big role in success in higher education; this study can help students to succeed.

b) This study examines if Kazi Nazrul University students' mental health is at a high or low level in the COVID-19 condition, as well as how much academic success they can attain.

c) From this study, the students of Kazi Nazrul University students will know whether their mental health is sound or poor.

d) Many students have become mentally weak due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the current investigation will help them to understand whether their studies have been weakened or strengthened.

e) Special efforts should be taken by the University in order to develop mental health of the PG Science students.

f) The study's findings will assist policymakers and planners in better understanding the genuine state of mental health among PG students.

9. Conclusion

The current investigation is a humble endeavor to conclude the state of mental health among Kazi Nazrul University Post Graduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The acquisition of mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic is critical in the Paschim Bardhaman District. The study found that the mental health of Post Graduate students in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman District is neither high nor poor during the COVID-19 epidemic, but rather moderate or average. The result come out the mental health of Post Graduate students is little bit of difference in respect to their Gender and Locality. 12.67% students are high level or strong in mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Post Graduate Science students are very low level of mental health than Post Graduate Commerce students and the Post Graduate Arts students. Therefore, this study suggests that the educational institutions need to take different types of initiatives in order to provide smooth conduct of teaching learning process so that students do not get frustrated. The authority must support and motivate students to continue their studies properly during COVID-19 pandemic.

References