Mental health during the pandemic: A cross-sectional study of COVID-19 anxiety and general well-being in India

Abstract

The global outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact worldwide, profoundly disrupting daily life and placing immense pressure on mental health across numerous communities. This study sought to explore the relationship between coronavirus-induced anxiety and general well-being among individuals residing in India. Employing a cross-sectional quantitative approach, data were gathered through an online semi-structured questionnaire, which included sections on participant sociodemographic information, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and General Well-Being scale (GWBS). The data was collected from 146 participants (83 females and 61 males) aged between 18-65 years. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation and independent samples t-tests using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Results demonstrated a significant negative correlation between coronavirus anxiety and general well-being (r= -0.304, p< 0.01), indicating that higher anxiety levels are associated with lower well-being. Gender differences were observed, with males reporting significantly higher levels of general well-being than females (p= 0.024). However, no significant gender difference was found in coronavirus anxiety (p= 0.520). Additionally, age showed a positive correlation with general well-being (r= 0.347, p< 0.01), suggesting that older individuals reported better well-being than younger ones. Interestingly, overall, coronavirus anxiety levels reported in the research were low. The study findings suggest that despite the considerable impact of Coronavirus on people&#39;s mental health, there is excellent recovery and resilience in the Indian population.