Fear of COVID-19 among the Indian youth: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease is a highly infectious and fatal disease. It has caused distress in the form of fear, and anxiety among masses including youth. The psychosocial health of youth is important to build resilient nations after the pandemic is over.This study aimed to capture the level of COVID-19 fear among youth studying in a northern Indian university and to compare it with demographic variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study (April–May 2020) conducted among university students in North India. Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was used for online survey using Google Forms. FCV-19S is a reliable tool for assessing the fear of COVID-19 among the general population. Descriptive statistics and principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 521 responses were recorded. The majority (78%) of the participants were in the age group of 18–23 years and more than half (57%) were pursuing graduation. The respondents belonged to 16 states and union territories in the country. A total of 17% reported severe fear, while a few reported moderate (17%) or mild (11%) fear on the FCV-19S. No respondent could be categorized with “no fear” based on the overall FCV-19S score. Approximately, 42% of respondents were nervous after watching news/social media posts about COVID-19. Based on PCA, factor 1 labeled as anxiety toward COVID-19, factor 2 media effect on shaping of fear, and factor 3 thanatophobia as contributing factors for fear among youth. CONCLUSIONS: Reflection of fear among youth suggests that adequate knowledge about COVID-19, preventive steps, treatment options, etc., may be planned to allay fears among youth.