Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The level of anxiety caused by the coronavirus pandemic in Saudi Arabia is much less in the Kingdom as compared to many other countries in the world.

The global average is more than 21 percent while it is 17 percent in the Kingdom. The level of anxiety in China is estimated at 29 percent, while it is over 21.5 percent in Spain and about 19 percent in Italy.

These figures were revealed during the Knowledge Integration Forum to confront the coronavirus pandemic organized by the Ministry of Education here on Monday. Several international speakers as well as researchers from various Saudi universities attended the virtual forum.

Addressing the session, Dr. Saleh Al-Nessar, secretary-general of the departments of education, underlined the need for humanizing the electronic school system as much as possible.”

Al-Nessar underscored the importance of establishing new units that would focus on remote social activities and social solidarity under the name of “Social Solidarity Unit.”

This unit is aimed at helping students deal with the psychological and social complications and tensions resulting from being compelled to stay at home and not being allowed to go to school.

Al-Nessar highlighted the importance of proper direction needed to be given to students to acquire skills in various art forms and develop special individual and performing skills such as free reading, narrative writing, fine arts, mathematical skills, and similar other things.

Al-Nessar recommended the establishment of electronic platforms specialized in training in individual skills such as arts platform, language skills platform, and life skills platform. He also called for providing training for distinguished teachers to conduct remote training courses to prepare students to acquire various individual skills.

He stressed the need to prepare early for the return of students to school by conducting research and studies that measure and monitor social and psychological changes in them, as well as the benefits of distance learning and education skills.

For her part, Dr. Arwa Arab, associate professor of clinical psychology at the King Abdulaziz University of Jeddah, spoke about the impact of social distancing imposed by the coronavirus pandemic on the elderly, noting that they were among the most affected groups in terms of mental health. She noted that the psychological effect of coronavirus included depression, anxiety, and panic.