Panic Attacks Over COVID 19 : A Survey Study on An Iraqi University Sample

Abstract

Abstract

The present paper attempts to detect the level of (COVID-19) pandemic panic attacks among university students, according to gender and stage variables.

To achieve this objective, the present paper adopts the scale set up by (Fathallah et al., 2021), which has been applied electronically to a previous cross-cultural sample consisting of (2285) participants from Arab countries, including Iraq. The scale includes, in its final form, (69) optional items distributed on (6) dimensions:  physical symptoms (13) items, psychological and emotional symptoms (12) items, cognitive and mental symptoms (11) items, social symptoms (8) items, general symptoms (13) items and daily living practices (12) items. All items were accepted and the data were analyzed using the two programs: SPSS (26) and LISREL (8.8). After removing the answers of (400) male and female students from the electronic application, and after collecting data and analyzing it statistically, the researchers concluded the following results:

• the scale has an appropriate degree of stability as the internal consistency of alpha coefficient has increased for the six dimensions of (0.80),
• the six-factor model proved to be a good match to the sample data.

As for the level of the pandemic panic attacks, the study has concluded the following: university students, of the four stages, have a clear decrease in panic attacks of the spread of the virus (COVID-19); males have a clear decrease compared to females; there is a statistically significant difference between male and female students in the level of panic attacks in favor of females and there are no statistically significant differences between the four stages.

In the light of the results of the present paper, the researchers have developed a number of conclusions, recommendations and suggestions.