Perceived Stress in Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Palestine: Across Sectional Study among Students of Faculty of Economics and Administration

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is regarded as a health issue that has a significant impact on educational systems around the world. Therefore, university students transferred to distance learning. The current study investigates the perceived stress level among faculty of economics and administration students in distance learning during the COVID-19 period because the virus has an impact on mental health. In a cross-sectional study, 400 university students of faculty of economics and administration who made up the sample were asked to rate their perceived stress (PSS) as well as their feelings and worries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that 30.5% of students often felt that they were unable to control the important things in the life, 30.25% often felt stress and nervous, 34.75% felt confident about the ability to handle their personal problems and 28.5% felt that things were going their way. The results showed that 46.25% of participants had moderate stress, 30.25% had low stress, and 23.5% had high stress. Females were more likely (53.3%) to have moderate stress than males (38.4%) (p< 0.001). For educational level, the study showed that post graduate students were more likely (n = 82, 45.8%) to have high level stress than undergraduate students (p< 0.001). The study showed that undergraduate students were more likely to have low (n = 76, 35.8%) and moderate (n = 124, 58.5%) stress than postgraduate students (p< 0.001). The results showed that students who came from low income families were more likely to had moderate (n = 119, 54.3%) and high level of stress (n = 56, 59.8%) (p< 0.001). The frequency of psychological suffering linked to an abrupt switch from in-person instruction to online instruction. Incorporating online counseling and stress management programs will reduce stress and improve students' mental health while they are learning remotely.