A New 20-Minute Test Can Now Pinpoint Exactly Why Students Feel Anxious

Researchers at CSJMU Kanpur have developed a General Anxiety Scale for 17 to 25 year olds that takes just 18 to 20 minutes to reveal whether a student's anxiety stems from academics, emotions, social pressures or worries about the future.

Mounting academic pressure, the grind of competitive exam preparation, career worries and uncertainty about the future have pushed a large number of young people towards stress and anxiety. Many students are unable to share what they are going through with anyone, and that mental burden keeps building quietly inside them. Researchers at Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU) in Kanpur have now built a scientific scale that can reveal, within minutes, exactly what kind of anxiety a student is dealing with.

A team effort behind the new anxiety scale

Under the guidance of Vice Chancellor Prof. Vinay Kumar Pathak, the scale was developed jointly by Dr. Vimal Singh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Education, research scholar Shubhi Rastogi, ICSSR fellow Desh Deepak, and Dr. Divya R Panjwani, Assistant Professor at Integral University, Lucknow. Named the General Anxiety Scale, it has been designed specifically for young people aged 17 to 25, the age bracket in which most students move from school to college and then step into their careers. What sets this scale apart is that it does not merely flag whether a student is stressed. It also identifies whether the anxiety stems from academics, emotions, the social environment, a tendency to overthink, or worries about the future, giving teachers and counsellors a way to get to the root of the problem instead of just noting that a student is troubled.

From 65 questions to 35, tested on 800 students

Before finalising the scale, the researchers had originally drafted 65 questions. On expert advice, this list was trimmed down to 35 questions to make it simpler and more practical for students to answer. It was then tested on 800 undergraduate students across Uttar Pradesh. The scale is built on a five-point Likert format, where students choose from options ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree for each statement. Notably, it takes only about 18 to 20 minutes to complete, and it can be administered just as easily to a single student or to an entire group at once, making it practical for schools and colleges to use at scale.

A reliability score of 0.94, cross-checked against GAD-7

According to Dr. Vimal Singh, the scale carries a reliability score of 0.94, which makes it an extremely dependable tool. It was also validated against the internationally used GAD-7 scale, and the results matched up well. On the strength of this reliability, the scale has been published by Prasad Psycho Private Limited, a well-regarded name in the field, lending it further credibility in academic and psychological circles.

Faster help for students who need it

With this scale in place, teachers, counsellors and psychologists will be able to quickly understand exactly what kind of difficulty a particular student is facing the most. Based on that, timely counselling and mental health support can be arranged as needed. The researchers believe this could help many young people get support before their struggles escalate into serious mental health issues, since the sooner a problem is identified, the more effective the help that follows.

Vice Chancellor calls it a major milestone

Vice Chancellor Prof. Vinay Kumar Pathak said that CSJMU has always stayed ahead in research and innovation. He added that this is an important achievement in strengthening the mental health of young people, and that its benefits will reach educational institutions and lakhs of students across the country in the times ahead.

What this means for you
• Across India: The scale could soon be used in schools and colleges nationwide, helping quickly identify the real cause behind a student's distress and enabling timely counselling for lakhs of students.
• In Kanpur and Uttar Pradesh: Local institutions and counsellors are likely to benefit first, since the scale was tested on 800 undergraduate students from Uttar Pradesh.

Questions & Answers

1. What is CSJMU's General Anxiety Scale?
It is a scientific scale that identifies stress and anxiety among 17 to 25 year olds and shows what is causing the anxiety.

2. Who developed it and under whose guidance?
It was developed under Vice Chancellor Prof. Vinay Kumar Pathak's guidance by Dr. Vimal Singh, Shubhi Rastogi, Desh Deepak and Dr. Divya R Panjwani.

3. How long does the test take to give results?
It takes only 18 to 20 minutes to complete.

4. How reliable is this scale?
It has a reliability score of 0.94 and has also been validated against the internationally used GAD-7 scale.

5. How many students was it tested on?
It was tested on 800 undergraduate students from Uttar Pradesh.

6. How many questions does the scale have?
It originally had 65 questions, which were trimmed down to 35 on expert advice.

7. Who has published the scale?
It has been published by Prasad Psycho Private Limited.

https://trendkia.com/en/health/chhatron-ki-chinta-ki-jara-pakarega-kanpur-university-ka-naya-skela-testa-mahaja-20-minata-ka-4956
TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.