scholarly journals Increased generalized anxiety, depression and distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Germany

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 672-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Bäuerle ◽  
Martin Teufel ◽  
Venja Musche ◽  
Benjamin Weismüller ◽  
Hannah Kohler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Burden ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Subjective Level

Abstract Background Since the first cases of the novel coronavirus disease SARS-CoV-2 were reported in December 2019 in China, the virus has spread in most countries. The aim of the present study was to assess initial data on the mental health burden of the German public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Germany and collected complete datasets from 15 704 German residents aged 18 years and over. Besides demographics, generalized anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-2) and psychological distress (DT) were assessed. Furthermore, COVID-19-related fear, trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19 and the subjective level of information regarding COVID-19 were covered. Results Significantly increased symptoms were highly prevalent in all dimensions: generalized anxiety (44.9%), depression (14.3%), psychological distress (65.2%) and COVID-19-related fear (59%). Females and younger people reported higher mental burden. Trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19 and the subjective level of information regarding COVID-19 are negatively associated with mental health burden. However, the subjective level of information regarding COVID-19 is positively associated with increased COVID-19-related fear. Conclusions The provision of appropriate psychological interventions for those in need and the provision of transparency and comprehensible information are crucial during the current pandemic.

scholarly journals Mental health of undocumented migrants and migrants undergoing regularization in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Fakhoury ◽  
Claudine Burton-Jeangros ◽  
Liala Consoli ◽  
Aline Duvoisin ◽  
Delphine Courvoisier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sleep Disturbance ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Undocumented Migrants ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Abstract Background Undocumented migrants live and work in precarious conditions. Few studies have explored the mental health consequences of such environment. The objective of this study is to describe the mental health of migrants at different stages of a regularization program. Methods This cross-sectional study included migrants undocumented or in the process of regularization. We screened for symptoms of anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance using validated tools. We created a composite outcome of altered mental health including these components plus self-report of a recent diagnosis of mental health condition by a health professional. Results We enrolled 456 participants of whom 246 (53.9%) were undocumented. They were predominantly women (71.9%) with a median age of 43.3 (interquartile range: 15.5) years, from Latin America (63.6%) or Asia (20.2%) who had lived in Switzerland for 12 (IQR: 7) years. Overall, 57.2% presented symptoms of altered mental health. Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance were 36% (95% confidence interval: 31.6–40.6%), 45.4% (95% CI: 40.8–50.1%) and 23% (95% CI: 19.2–27.2), respectively. Younger age (adjusted odd ratio: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5–0.9 for each additional decade), social isolation (aOR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.4–4.2), exposure to abuse (aOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1–3.5), financial instability (aOR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4–3.7) and multi-morbidity (aOR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.7–6.5) were associated with increased risk of having altered mental health while being in the early stages of the process of regularization had no effect (aOR: 1.3: 95% CI: 0.8–2.2). Conclusions This study highlights the need for multi-pronged social and health interventions addressing the various domains of undocumented migrants living difficulties as complement to legal status regularization policies. Protection against unfair working conditions and abuse, access to adequate housing, promoting social integration and preventive interventions to tackle the early occurrence of chronic diseases may all contribute to reduce the burden of altered mental health in this group. More research is needed to assess the long-term impact of legal status regularization on mental health.

scholarly journals Mental health of undergraduate distance learners: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayani P. Gamage ◽  
H.M.Chulani J. Herath
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Distance Learners ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

PurposeMental health is as important as physical health and new university entrants report high prevalence of depression. In open and distance learning (ODL), students must manage both work and studies. Those who are unable to effectively balance these aspects may experience negative outcomes such as dropping out, distress and physical health problems. Therefore, the study aims to investigate psychological distress amongst distance-learning undergraduate students to gather evidence for recommending necessary interventions.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted using depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS-21). Participants were undergraduate students from the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). The students' socio-demographic details, history of physical and mental illnesses were also recorded.FindingsAccording to scoring, 51% of the sample was categorised as “psychologically distressed” relating to the anxiety levels they reported whilst depression (35%) and stress remained (20%) at low levels. The three-factor structure of DASS-21 was also confirmed with reliability scores of 0.8 obtained for all three sub-scales.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations were low-response rate (less than 50%) and inability to provide causal explanations for psychological distress. Further research could address these.Practical implicationsThe current research identified anxiety as a psychologically distressing factor for ODL students with the use of a reliable screening tool. Therefore, exploring reasons and interventions to help reduce anxiety could be developed.Social implicationsMajority of distance learners are contributing to a country's economy whilst learning to improve their current socio-economic status. Therefore, addressing these negative impacts is important.Originality/valueThe study explored ODL students' psychological distress and highlighted the need to identify causes and development of support systems to enhance mental well-being.

scholarly journals Association of dietary phytochemical index and mental health in women: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (09) ◽  
pp. 1049-1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manije Darooghegi Mofrad ◽  
Fereydoun Siassi ◽  
Bijan Guilani ◽  
Nick Bellissimo ◽  
Leila Azadbakht
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Dietary Assessment ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Daily Energy ◽  
Study Participants

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that unhealthy dietary patterns are among the most important modifiable risk factors in the development of mental health disorders. We examined the association of dietary phytochemical index (DPI) with symptoms of depression, anxiety and psychological distress in Iranian women. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 488 women aged 20–50 years old attending health centres in the south of Tehran in 2018 were included. A validated and reliable FFQ was used for dietary assessment. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and psychological distress were assessed using a validated depression, anxiety, stress scales questionnaires with twenty-one-items. DPI was estimated using the following formula: (daily energy derived from phytochemical-rich foods (kJ)/total daily energy intake (kJ))×100. The mean age of the study participants was 31·9 (sd7·7) years. The prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety and psychological distress among study participants was 34·6, 40·6 and 42·4 %, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, women in the highest tertile of DPI had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms (OR 0·22; 95 % CI 0·12, 0·38) and anxiety (OR 0·33; 95 % CI 0·20, 0·55), as well as psychological distress (OR 0·30; 95 % CI 0·18, 0·49) compared with those in the lowest tertile. In conclusion, we found a significant association between DPI and mental health in women. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression in General Population of Iran during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saman Maroufizadeh ◽  
Majid Pourshaikhian ◽  
Ali Pourramzani ◽  
Farzaneh Sheikholeslami ◽  
Mohammad Taghi Moghadamnia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Abstract Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health emergency and may result in psychological problems such as anxiety and depression in general population. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and their associated factors in general population of Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We conducted this web-based cross-sectional study on 5328 individuals in Iran, between 17 and 29 April 2020. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire via social media like WhatsApp and Telegram. The online survey collected information on demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related variables, and anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent predictors of anxiety and depression.Results: The mean GAD-7 and PHQ-9 total scores were 7.17 (SD=5.42) and 7.80 (SD=6.68), respectively. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and comorbid anxiety-depression were 30.1%, 33.4%, and 22.1%, respectively. According to the adjusted analysis, anxiety was significantly associated with being female, being young and middle-aged, being unemployed or housewife, having chronic diseases, long time thinking about COVID-19, having family members, friends, and/or relatives infected with COVI-19, and death of family members, relatives or friends due to COVID-19. Same results were also found for depression. Furthermore, depression was associated with being single, being resident in urban area, and having high risk individual in family. Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety and depression were considerably high in general population of Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the findings suggest that more attention needs to be paid to vulnerable groups such as women, young/middle-aged adults, unemployed people, people with chronic disease. Thus, a holistic approach, including management policies, psychosocial interventions, training, support, and tele-mental health, is absolutely crucial to reduce mental health problems of the COVID-19 and any outbreaks of other infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Psychological Distress during COVID-19 Curfews and Social Distancing in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Badrah S Alghamdi ◽  
Yasser AlAtawi ◽  
Fahad S. AlShehri ◽  
Haythum O. Tayeb ◽  
Hanin Abo Abo Taleb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Stress Score

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to over 150 countries worldwide. Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Saudi Arabia, cases have continued to escalate exponentially. The COVID-19 outbreak has had a negative effect on mental health and well-being. The study aim was to investigate the effects of the strict national regulations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s mental health. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of Saudi residents. Participants completed an online questionnaire after 1 month of a nationwide 24-hour curfew. We measured psychological distress using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). We ran binary logistic regression analyses to detect variables that significantly predicted DASS-21 scores. Results The sample comprised 2252 Saudi residents. The DASS-21 score means and standard deviations for depression and anxiety for the whole sample (10.73 ± 10.29 and 6.98 ± 8.30, respectively) were in the range of mild depression and anxiety. In contrast, the mean DASS-21 stress score was within the normal range (11.97 ± 10.80). The mean stress score for healthcare workers was within normal range (13.70 ± 10.68), but was significantly higher than the mean score for the public (11.56 ± 10.89; P = .0006). Several variables (e.g. age, gender and history of contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases) were significantly associated with higher DASS-21 scores. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has created a psychological burden. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement emergency psychological interventions to reduce the negative psychosocial effects of the pandemic on public mental health.

THE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH AND RELATED FACTORS: A WEB-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY HEALTH STUDENT IN THE PANDEMIC

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (20) ◽  
pp. 723-737
Author(s):  
Ayfer BAYINDIR ÇEVİK ◽  
Elçin Sebahat KASAPOĞLU
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
University Students ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Previous Diagnosis ◽  
Level Of Knowledge

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and anxiety of university students about the Covid-19 epidemic at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional study. The sample consists of 1243 health students. The data were collected through an online questionnaire consisting of three parts. The questionnaire included questions to assess the socio-demographic characteristics of students, their level of knowledge, awareness and behavior about the Covid-19 pandemic, and the impact of the epidemic on their psychological health. The GAD-7 scale was used to assess students' anxiety levels. Results: In this study; 79.60% of the Health Care Students (HCSs) did not attend any training on COVID-19. Their sources of information were internet/social media (97.18%) and TV (97.18%). In the COVID-19 knowledge assessment test, it was found that 65.7% of them had a high level of knowledge. Most of HCSs thought that their knowledge about COVID-19 was very good (55%). The correct answer means of the 31 questions on the COVID-19 knowledge questionnaire were 22.07±1.70. In this questionnaire, it stated that the most effective methods of protection were the use of a mask in crowded environments (99.1%). Most of the HCSs stated that outbreak was affected their mental health negatively (73.1%) and some of them named this state as "Coronaphobia" (33.2%). In this study was found that some HCSs have a generalized anxiety disorder (22.6%) and anxiety experienced due to COVID "completely affected" their lives (19.5%). The average knowledge score of the students who received applied training in the hospital at the beginning of the pandemic (22.29±1.58) and anxiety level of students (6.77±5.85) was higher than those who did not receive applied training in the hospital (5.84±5.47, p<0.05). The GAD-7 scores for those with a previous diagnosis of psychological disease were 2 times higher than those without a previous diagnosis (p<0.05)Conclusion: At the beginning of the pandemic, students who received hands-on training at the hospital had higher knowledge and awareness levels. Generalized Anxiety Disorder was observed more frequently in those with a previous psychological disorder than in other students. Keywords: Anxiety; coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19); knowledge; health students; pandemic and mental health

scholarly journals Adverse childhood experiences and psychological distress among higher education students in Southeast Nigeria: an institutional-based cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaoluwa Samson Agbaje ◽  
Chinwe Patience Nnaji ◽  
Evelyn Nwanabe Nwagu ◽  
Cylia Nkechi Iweama ◽  
Prince Christian Ifeanachor Umoke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood

Abstract Background Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) constitutes public health problems linked to adverse mental outcomes such as psychological distress during adulthood. This study examines the prevalence of ACEs and psychological distress and explores the association between ACEs and psychological distress and demographic factors among young adults. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 330 students from May 2018 to July 2018. The participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and the sociodemographic profile scale. We used descriptive statistics to describe the prevalence of ACEs and psychological distress in our sample. After adjusting for the demographic covariates, ACEs’ association with psychological distress was determined using binary and multivariate logistic regressions. Results A total of 203 students with a mean age of 20.76 ± 2.73 years completed the study. The total mean ACE score was 4.58 ± 1.59, and the total mean psychological distress score was 20.76 ± 6.31. Most of the participants (86.7%) experienced ACEs, 14.8% reported experiencing one ACE, 30.5% reported experiencing 2–3 ACEs, and 41.3% reported experiencing 4+ ACEs. Further, about 85% of the youth have experienced at least one form of sexual abuse during childhood, and females reported a higher number of ACEs than males. Sexual abuse (OR = 2.36; 95% CI: 2.36, 7.65), physical neglect (OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.57, 5.31), overall ACE exposure (OR = 6.66; 95% CI: 2.41, 18.42), having 1 ACE (OR = 4.40; 95% CI: 1.32, 14.70), having 2–3 ACEs (OR = 4.13; 95% CI: 1.39, 12.29), and having 4+ (OR = 11.67; 95% CI: 3.95, 34.45) were significantly associated with psychological distress. Conclusions ACEs are prevalent among young adults and are associated with psychological distress in adulthood. Furthermore, parental factors are associated with ACEs and psychological distress. Thus, implementation of school, community-and facility-based routine mental health screening programs is essential for prompt identification, prevention, and treatment of youth with childhood adversities and poor mental health outcomes.

scholarly journals Composite Anxiety-depression among Medical Undergraduates during COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (241) ◽  
pp. 881-885
Author(s):  
Pratikshya Chalise Chalise ◽  
Avilasha Singh ◽  
Era Rawal ◽  
Pravash Budhathoki ◽  
Satyasuna Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Undergraduates ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Introduction: Fear and anxiety is a natural response during crisis. From constant worry of getting infected, death of loved ones, transitioning of lifestyle to loss of social connection; there can be several psychological triggers. The effect on mental health on the general population could be greater than those affected by the infection itself during the pandemic. Among medical students, who already have several other psychological afflictions, these triggers might be detrimental. Hence, this study aims to find out the prevalence of composite anxiety-depression among medical undergraduates in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among medical undergraduates in a tertiary care hospital from 20th December 2020 to 5th January 2021. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee. The sample size was calculated and convenient sampling was done. The data were entered in International Business Machines Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Results: Out of 315 participants on the Patient Health Questionnaire-Anxiety and Depression Scale, severe composite anxiety-depression was seen in 10 (3.17%) at 95% Confidence Interval (1.23-5.1) participants, moderate in 35 (11.11%) at 95% Confidence Interval (7.63-14.58) and mild in 98 (31.11%) at 95% Confidence Interval (25.99-36.22). And 172 (54.6%) at 95% Confidence Interval (49.1-60) were normal. Conclusions: The rapid rise of apprehension among people amidst infectious outbreaks can ensue and medical students are no exception. So, at this time of crisis, there is a need to protect their mental health and it should be emphasized and endorsed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document