Immediate psychological responses during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic among Bangladeshi medical students

Background The most recent global pandemic of COVID-19 has been creating multidimensional damages, including a detrimental impact on the mental health status of individuals. Medical students, a vulnerable cross-section of the population, may have perceived a myriad of psychological stressors during this crisis in the background of their prevailing stressful academic pressure and preexisting higher psychological and mental health issue. Objective To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and to elucidate the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Bangladeshi medical students. Method A cross-sectional study design was utilized to conduct this survey. The online survey including demographic questions, COVID-19 related questions, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; higher scores on the subscales indicate higher levels of…