Severity of Anxiety due to the COVID-19 Pandemic among the Students of Africa International University, Karen

This study investigated the severity of anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic among students studying at the Africa International University, Karen, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was done within a period of three months. The study was guided by the Ecological Systems theory and the Social Cognitive Theory. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. Participant’s answers were compared to certain variables including prevalence of preventive hygiene measures, depression, severity of anxiety and prevalence of avoidance behavior. A working sample size of 123 was picked from a target population of 1134 students from the Africa International University. Stratified Random Sampling was used to get a sample of 123 students. A structured questionnaire with an internal consistence reliability of α=0.858 was used to collect data from the respondents. In addition to this, the researcher used the Becks Depression Inventory-II and the Beck’s Anxiety Inventory to find out the severity of depression and anxiety respectively. The information obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and information obtained was presented using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found out that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the psychological well-being of college students. More than 60% of the students incorporated behavior changes and adhered to the government directives on preventive hygiene measures (p=0.000). It was also found out that the students suffered from depression 20.10 ± 0.975SD. 28.9% and 23.7% of the students suffered from moderate and severe depression respectively. The student also suffered from anxiety 15.85 ± 0.491SD, p=0.000. A quarter of the students had concerning high levels of anxiety. Avoidance behavior was also prevalent at 12.09 ± 3.909SD. It was alarming that 50% of the students thought of quitting or deferring their studies due to the COVID-19 pandemic ((r = 0.230, p-value = 0.014). The study recommends the introduction of psychoeducation programs to educate the students on how to cope with the COVID-19 pandemics and other pandemics that might occur, initiation of accessible and affordable counselling services for students, training on developing resilience, a concerted effort between the colleges and government to educate students on how to cope with pandemics and that the government should put measures to mitigate the spread of fake news from social media and educate people on where to obtain reliable information. Key words: Anxiety, COVID-19, Students