The relationship between university students' depression, anxiety, and stress with positivity attitudes and the...

The physical activity of university students is restricted during the pandemic, changes in education and training, and uncertainties during the pandemic caused their social lives to change completely.

This study aims to determine the relationship between the depression, anxiety, and stress, and positivity attitudes of university students during the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease-2019) outbreak and their attitudes and behaviors toward the pandemic.

This cross-sectional study was conducted online among university students, n = 2153 from April 30, 2020 to May 10, 2020. Data were collected with the Positivity Scale and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale.

The proportion of those with moderate and above depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in the study group, respectively, were 40.6%, 24.6%, and 22.5%. The risk ratio of these symptoms is higher among those with lower positive attitudes (OR [odds ratio] = 0.804, 0.897, 0.895, respectively), being women (OR = 1.446, 1.666, 1.471), who are concerned with the transmission of the Covid-19 (OR = 1.144, 1.374, 1.201), who believe their intra-family relations (OR = 1.886, 1.728, 2.083) and education (OR = 1.680, 1.682, 2.132) are negatively affected, and those who are more worried about life after the pandemic.

Compared with the pre-pandemic period, the frequency of university students showing symptoms of depression increased, and there was no significant change in anxiety and stress levels.