Depression, anxiety and stress between athletes and non-athletes UiTM Kampus Samarahan during movement control order / Jasper Joyster Jamoni

Mental health problems has been very alarming in Malaysia. Identifying depression, anxiety and stress level are considered as important indicators of mental health. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences of depression, anxiety and stress between athletes and non-athletes university students during movement control order (MCO). A total of four hundred and forty (N=440) university students were selected in this study comprised of athlete-students (n=176) and non-athlete students (n=264). The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 items (DASS-21) inventory was employed to measure the level of depression, anxiety and stress between athletes and non-athletes university students. The current study found that there were no differences of depression, anxiety and stress between athletes and non-athletes university students during MCO (p > .05). However, the results showed that some of the students in both groups experienced moderate to extremely severe level of depression, anxiety and stress during MCO. Hence, this finding is very alarming as regard in increased risk for psychiatric morbidity. In a nutshell, proper treatment need to be conducted to the affected individual and prevention strategies need to be applied to control university students from any unwanted behaviour.