The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety levels of Arab college students in Israel

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic first arrived in Israel on February 27, 2020. During the course of the pandemic, as of now, over 350,000 have been infected, and over 3,000 have died. The spreading virus caused not only health risks, but triggered economic and social difficulties, and unbearable psychological and emotional stress among the population in general, and among academic students in particular. The present research aimed to assess the consequent anxiety level among Arab students in Israel, and to examine the correlation between anxiety level and other variables (such as steady income, financial support from the family, concerns about academic delays, day-to-day life, and so on). Questionnaires included the 7-item generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire (GAD-7) and demographic data. 437 questionnaires were analyzed. The results showed that 19% of the respondents experienced severe anxiety, 29.5% moderate anxiety, and 34.1% mild anxiety. It was also found that students with economic worries, i.e., no steady income and lack of financial support from the family, reported mild to moderate anxiety. Correlations analysis indicated that anxiety about academic delays and economic worries, intentions to drop out or freeze studies, and effects on daily life – were positively correlated with anxiety symptoms, whereas a steady income and financial support were negatively correlated with anxiety