Fear of COVID-19 and Its Correlation with Anxiety in Medical Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Background: During the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, medical students are considered a psychologically vulnerable group. This study aimed to assess the level of COVID-19 fear and anxiety among undergraduate medical students. Materials and methods: Two hundred and sixty-seven undergraduate medical students were assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales. Results: The participants comprised 144 (52.88%) male and 123 (47.12%) female students, with a mean age of 19.94 ± 1.38. The mean score for the FCV-19S scale was 18.29 ± 5.81, while the mean score for the GAD-7 scale was 5.86 ± 4.80. Using a cut-off point score of 16.5 for the FCV-19S, 159 (59.55%) students showed elevated fear of COVID-19 infection. A total of 88 (32.96%) students suffered from mild anxiety, 38 (14.23%) from moderate anxiety, and 16 (5.99%) from severe anxiety. A significant association was observed between fear of COVID-19 and anxiety symptoms (correlation coefficient = 0.541, 95% CI 0.451-0.621, P <0.001). Conclusion: The fear of COVID-19 infection is very high among medical students and is significantly related to anxiety.