Psychological impact of online learning among private university students in Bangladesh during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

In this study, the psychological impact of online learning among private university students has been investigated. Besides, the significant relationship between mental state and anxiety level have been assessed. The online survey was conducted 8 months later of shifting education to online. 93.2% of students (N=521) found online learning more stressful than traditional education. Tension about tuition fees and higher anxiety worsen anyone’s mental state (p-value is 0.016<0.05). Moreover, higher anxiety level decreases the level of interest among students (p-value= -0.3). 82.4% of students get anxious due to poor internet connectivity. Along with psychological distress the study found students faced physical problems such as eye problems (72.36%), hearing difficulties (49.3%) and high blood pressure (40.3%). An increased rate (39.58%) of self-medication has been found. This study recommends the policy makers to bring some changes in online learning to make education more imperative for health.