whether they are living alone or with family during the MCO, due to psychological pressures including fear,

panic, stress, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, the objective of this study is to focus on the implications of the

COVID-19 outbreak and the MCO on the mental and emotional health of UniSZA students. The research method

used in this study is quantitative, utilizing a descriptive and inferential analysis design. The sample size of this

study is 500 UniSZA students, involving 4 UniSZA campuses. The findings of the study indicate that the mental

and emotional health of UniSZA students is at a moderate level. In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

and the MCO have a negative impact on the mental and emotional health of UniSZA students and humans in

general.

social, health, and education systems. The WHO report also estimated an increase in mental health cases among

the global population due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of this outbreak, the Malaysian government announced the implementation of the Movement Control

Order (MCO) starting on March 18, 2020, with the aim of breaking the chain of the outbreak by controlling the

spread of the virus. Among the measures of the MCO was the closure of all educational institutions, including

daycare centers, schools, tahfiz centers, and colleges. In addition, higher education institutions, including both

public and private universities, as well as vocational training institutes across the country, were also closed. The

global crisis caused by the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak not only delayed conventional teaching and

learning but also made students' tasks even more challenging as they had to adapt to new norms and a new way

of life, which required teaching and learning (PdP) to be conducted online.

autonomic, and behavioral aspects, with varying degrees depending on the characteristics of the at-risk

population. Among the cognitive symptoms are poor concentration, memory problems, and feelings of

helplessness, while the emotional symptoms include feelings of fear, dread, distress, irritability, and sensitivity.

Somatic symptoms include insomnia, body aches, loss of appetite, and a decrease in sexual desire. Autonomic

symptoms include a fast heartbeat, palpitations, frequent urges to urinate, and stomach pain. Behavioral

symptoms of anxiety can be observed through aggressive behavior, cruelty, and avoidance of crowds, places, or

situations (Chhabra, 2020).

A study by Sundarasen et al. (2020) involving 983 respondents among students found that 20.4%, 6.6%, and

2.8% of students experienced anxiety at minimal to moderate, moderate severe, and very severe levels during

the COVID-19 pandemic. All factors, including age, gender, field of study or course, and financial status, showed

Based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019, nearly half of million citizens in the adult

category (2.3 percent) were found to experience symptoms of stress or depression. Among this group, the

majority of affected individuals were from the B40 group (2.7 percent), followed by the M40 group (1.7 percent)

and the T20 group (0.5 percent). At the same time, the NHMS 2019 also found that 424,000 (7.9 percent) children

experienced mental health issues. Half of these mental health problems began as early as the age of 14, and three-

quarters of them occurred in the mid-20s (Berita Harian, 2020).

In the education sector, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all schools, including public and private

higher education institutions across the country, were forced to close simultaneously due to the spread of the

virus, which was seen as potentially impacting the operations of organizations as well as teaching and learning

in the involved institutions. The situation during the COVID-19 pandemic required swift action from the relevant

more than 421 million students were affected in their learning process for the current academic session when

educational institutions had to close immediately to ensure the safety of the staff and students, who are

considered to be at risk of infection. According to a study conducted by Mohd Arif Johari & Sa'odah Ahmad

(2019), there were several challenges faced by students in undergoing online learning, including the ability to

adapt to technological changes, as it involved digital learning, as well as the change in attitude required to accept

the practice of online learning that was being implemented.

The design of this study is quantitative, using a survey research approach with a questionnaire instrument.This

study was conducted during the post–COVID-19 pandemic recovery phase in the 2021/2022 period. The

sampling method employed in this study was systematic random sampling involving three (3) UniSZA

19 pandemic, containing five items.

In this study, the researcher will use a modified instrument from the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21

(DASS-21) to assess the mental health status of students, focusing on depression, anxiety, and stress. The choice

of DASS-21 is due to its design not only to conventionally measure emotional levels but also to facilitate a more

detailed process for understanding and measuring emotional status, which is often described as stress. DASS can

be effectively used by groups or individuals for research purposes (Ramli Musa & Ruhaila Maskat, 2020).

Scale

Item Numbers

Depression

0–9

10–13

Anxiety

0–7

8–9

Stress

0–14

15–18

Based on several previous studies, the validity and reliability of the DASS-21 instrument have shown high values

(2020), the Cronbach’s Alpha values were 0.95 for depression, 0.85 for anxiety, and 0.87 for stress, with an

0.91 for depression, 0.88 for anxiety, and 0.89 for stress.

For percentage scores ranging from 75% to 100%, it indicates that the scores for the variable being studied are

at a high level. Percentage scores ranging from 50% to 74% indicate that the scores for the variable being studied

are at a moderate level, and percentage scores ranging from 0% to 49% indicate that the scores for the variable

being studied are at a low level.

is not evenly distributed across the districts as it depends on the number of students at each UniSZA campus.

Overall, there is indeed an influence of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on the mental and emotional health of

students at UniSZA. The mental and emotional health of students across all three campuses is at a moderate level,

indicating that all students across the three campuses are experiencing a decline in mental and emotional health

Implications and policy recommendations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public

13. Tam, G., & El-Azhar, D. (2020). 3 ways the coronavirus pandemic could reshape education. The World

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/3-ways-coronavirus-is-reshaping-education-and-what-

14. Tuckman, B. (1999). Conducting educational research. Harcourt Brace College Publishers, Fort Worth.