Academic Factors Aggravate Anxiety Levels of Undergraduates in Sri Lanka During COVID-19

The temporary closure of universities in Sri Lanka that was prolonged due to the rise of the COVID-19 resulted in a swift change in undergraduates' lifestyles and exerted severe mental pressure on them. Accordingly, the study aims to evaluate academic aspects that influence undergraduates' anxiety levels in Sri Lanka. This was conducted in response to the question, 'What is the degree of undergraduate anxiety owing to COVID-19?'. The study investigates this mental pressure in terms of the anxiety levels of undergraduates, which is considered the dependent variable. In contrast, their online learning facilities and university workload were the independent variables.The study adopted a quantitative research approach. Its primary data were collected through an online questionnaire created from Google Forms and answered by 384 undergraduates (192 from state and non-state universities and higher educational institutes each). The questionnaire provided data on the online facilities and university workload variables, and it included the DASS-21 scale (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale), which measured the anxiety level of the undergraduates. A regression analysis was conducted on the data through SPSS software. Based on the data analysis, it was found that online learning facilities and university workload both had a significant impact on the anxiety levels of state and non-state university undergraduates.