The level of perceived stress and affecting factors due to current economic crisis among undergraduates in Faculty of Health-Care Sciences, Eastern University, Sri Lanka.

Abstract

In 2021 the Sri Lankan government officially declared the worst economic crisis in the country. Due to current ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka is affecting the whole sectors in the country. As the undergraduate students, we also have to suffer due to restrictions of family income. Then parents have unable to afford all expenses required by university students. As a result, students have to cut down their daily expenditure. Those can involve levels of stress among undergraduates that lead to disruptions in both physical and mental health and also cause poor academic performance. Some students may have to quit their studies also. Stress is an emotional feeling for all the ages, which appears at any time of the life cycle.The purpose of the current study was to identify the level of perceived stress and affecting factors due to current economic crisis among undergraduates in Faculty of Health-Care Sciences (FHCS), Eastern University Sri Lanka (EUSL).The cross sectional descriptive study a self-administered online questionnaire was used to gather information and complete enumeration was done. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) instrument was used to assess the severity of the undergraduate perceived level of stress related current economic crisis. Demographic variables and affecting factors due to current economic crisis were considered.The overall mean stress score in the study population was 22.91(SD=5.386). The majority of undergraduates reported moderate stress 70.8% (N=240). A multiple linear regression analysis was applied, Pearson correlation was used, and all necessary tests have been performed. There was statistically significant, positive correlation between the level of perceived stress and their family income per month (p=0.000). The contributing factors correlated with perceived stress were unable to enjoy meeting people, unable to frequently visiting home, unable to take meals from outside and instead of cooking, trying to save extra expenditure money, unable to frequent shopping for dresses, cosmetics, jewelry.The level of perceived stress reported by the majority of the students were moderate. Mainly their family income per month contributed to stress among them. Policymakers and the university administration have to consider more about the stress levels of the students and plan suitable programs like scholarships to manage stress.