This is how India reacted to lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown was used as a public health measure throughout the world including India to reduce transmission of the disease. Not only did the lockdown significantly decrease the growth rate of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also immediately and drastically changed patterns of daily life and behavior of people across India.Methods: This online survey was conducted during phases 2 and 3 of lockdown to study the effect of lockdown on the daily routine of people, find out its psychological impact and study the factors contributing to it.Results: During the lockdown, 75.2% of respondents were working from home with 36.8% reporting a decrease in the number of working hours. There was a significant increase in the mean duration of sleep, exercise/meditation, and time spent with family, on social media/OTT platforms during the lockdown. The lockdown resulted in widespread compliance with public health directives. There was a wide spectrum of symptoms of psychological distress among the study subjects the commonest being anxiety (70%) followed by fear of infection (about 35%). Female gender, extrovert personality, married status, having children, lower socioeconomic status, fear of infection, loneliness, inadequate basic supplies, a longer period of lockdown, and inadequate information were found to be associated with negative psychological impact.Conclusions: Lockdown brought significant changes in the daily routine and behaviour of people with a wide spectrum of negative psychological impacts. Effective measures should be taken to mitigate its effect as a part of the quarantine planning process.

Download Full-text

Young adults’ coping strategies against loneliness during the COVID-19-related quarantine in Greece

Health Promotion International ◽

10.1093/heapro/daab053 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Adrianos Golemis ◽

Panteleimon Voitsidis ◽

Eleni Parlapani ◽

Vasiliki A Nikopoulou ◽

Virginia Tsipropoulou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Young Adults ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Online Survey ◽

Adult Population ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Cross Sectional

Summary COVID-19 and the related quarantine disrupted young adults’ academic and professional life, daily routine and socio-emotional well-being. This cross-sectional study focused on the emotional and behavioural responses of a young adult population during the COVID-19-related quarantine in April 2020, in Greece. The study was conducted through an online survey. A total of 1559 young adults, aged 18−30 years, completed Steele’s Social Responsibility Motivation Scale and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and answered questions about compliance with instructions, quarantine-related behaviours and coping strategies. According to the results, participants displayed a relatively high sense of social responsibility (M = 16.09, SD = 2.13) and a trend towards moderate feeling of loneliness (M = 2.65, SD = 1.62); young women reported significantly higher levels of loneliness than men. The majority complied with instructions often (46.4%) or always (44.8%). Significantly more women created a new social media account and used the social media longer than 5 h/day, compared with men. Resorting to religion, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted higher levels of social responsibility; humour, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted lower levels of loneliness. Conclusively, COVID-19 is expected to have a significant psychological impact on young adults. Currently, Greece is going through the second quarantine period. This study raises awareness about loneliness in young adults during the COVID-19-related quarantine and highlights the importance of developing online programmes, attractive to younger people, to nurture adaptive coping strategies against loneliness.

Download Full-text

Developing fit-for-purpose self-report instruments for assessing consumer responses to tobacco and nicotine products: the ABOUT™ Toolbox initiative

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.16810.1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 1878 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christelle Chrea ◽

Catherine Acquadro ◽

Esther F. Afolalu ◽

Erica Spies ◽

Thomas Salzberger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Wide Spectrum ◽

Medical Product ◽

Consumer Perception ◽

Self Report ◽

Measurement Instruments ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Fit For Purpose ◽

And Behavior ◽

The Impact

Background. Determining the public health impact of tobacco harm reduction strategies requires the assessment of consumer perception and behavior associated with tobacco and nicotine products (TNPs) with different exposure and risk profiles. In this context, rigorous methods to develop and validate psychometrically sound self-report instruments to measure consumers’ responses to TNPs are needed. Methods. Consistent with best practice guidelines, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “Guidance for Industry Patient-Reported Outcome Measures: Use in Medical Product Development to Support Labeling Claims,” scientifically designed, fit-for-purpose, reliable, and valid instruments are now being applied to tobacco regulatory research. Results. This brief report presents the ABOUT™ Toolbox (Assessment of Behavioral OUtcomes related to Tobacco and nicotine products) initiative. This communication: (1) describes the methodological steps followed for the development and validation of the measurement instruments included in the ABOUT™ Toolbox, (2) presents a summary of the high-priority tobacco-related domains that are currently covered in the ABOUT™ Toolbox (i.e., risk perception, dependence, product experience, health and functioning, and use history), and (3) details how the measurement instruments are made accessible to the scientific community. Conclusions. By making the ABOUT™ Toolbox available to the tobacco research and public health community, we envision a rapidly expanding knowledge base, with the goals of (1) supporting consumer perception and behavior research to allow comparisons across a wide spectrum of TNPs, (2) enabling public health and regulatory communities to make better-informed decisions for future regulation of TNPs, and (3) enhancing surveillance activities associated with the impact of TNPs on population health.

Download Full-text

Psychological Impact of a Pandemic Widespread in Healthcare Workers: The Italian and Swiss Perspective Early After of CoVid-19 Outbreak

10.21203/rs.3.rs-41724/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Laura Uccella ◽

Pietro Majno-Hurst ◽

Sara Uccella ◽

Luca Jacopo Pavan ◽

Stefano Uccella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Working Hours ◽

Psychological Support ◽

Public Hospitals ◽

Professional Groups ◽

Stress Symptoms ◽

Care Workers ◽

Short Time

Abstract Background. We investigated the COVID19-related psychological impact in healthcare workers three weeks after its onset in Italy and in Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland. All professional groups of public hospitals in Italy and Switzerland were asked to complete a 38 questions online survey investigating demographic, marital and working status, presence of stress symptoms and need for psychological support. Results. Within 38 hours a total of 3,038 responses were collected. The subgroup analysis identified specific categories at risk according to age, type of work and region of origin. Critical care workers, in particular females, reported an increased number of working hours, decline in confidence in the future, presence of stress symptoms and need for psychological support. People reporting stress symptoms and those with children declared a higher need for psychological support. Conclusions. The large number of participants in such a short time advocates for a high interest on topic among hospital workers. The COVID19 outbreak could have been and still be a repeated trauma for many health professionals, with risk of future psychiatric sequelae. It is of outstanding importance to implement short and long-term measures to mitigate impact of the emotional burden of this pandemic while at the same time dealing with its clinical challenges.

Download Full-text

Changes in work and life patterns associated with depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study of health app (CALO mama) users

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2020-106945 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. oemed-2020-106945

Author(s):

Koryu Sato ◽

Ryohei Sakata ◽

Chiaki Murayama ◽

Mai Yamaguchi ◽

Yoko Matsuoka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Online Survey ◽

Working Hours ◽

Female Gender ◽

Short Term ◽

State Of Emergency ◽

Life Patterns ◽

Longitudinal Effects ◽

The Government ◽

Work And Life

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many people refrained from going out, started working from home (WFH), and suspended work or lost their jobs. This study examines how such pandemic-related changes in work and life patterns were associated with depressive symptoms.MethodsAn online survey among participants who use a health app called CALO mama was conducted from 30 April to 8 May 2020 in Japan. Participants consisted of 2846 users (1150 men (mean age=50.3) and 1696 women (mean age=43.0)) who were working prior to the government declaration of a state of emergency (7 April 2020). Their daily steps from 1 January to 13 May 2020 recorded by an accelerometer in their mobile devices were linked to their responses. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Two-Question Screen.ResultsOn average, participants took 1143.8 (95% CI −1557.3 to −730.2) fewer weekday steps during the declaration period (from 7 April to 13 May). Depressive symptoms were positively associated with female gender (OR=1.58, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.87), decreased weekday steps (OR=1.22, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.45) and increased working hours (OR=1.73, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.26). Conversely, starting WFH was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (OR=0.83, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.99).ConclusionsDecreased weekday steps during the declaration period were associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms, but WFH may mitigate the risk in the short term. Further studies on the longitudinal effects of WFH on health are needed.

Download Full-text

Traumatic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in an International Sample: Contribution of Fatalism to Psychological Distress and Behavior Change

10.31234/osf.io/an4k6 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Olga Bogolyubova ◽

Andrea Sainz-Maza Fernandez ◽

Belen Tristan Lopez ◽

Pamela Portelli

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Behavior Change ◽

Online Survey ◽

Traumatic Event ◽

Well Being ◽

Multiple Regression Model ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Related Stress ◽

And Behavior ◽

Traumatic Impact

This study aimed to assess the traumatic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and to explore the contribution of fatalism to a) psychological distress and b) pandemic-related behavior change. Data for the study were collected via an anonymous online survey. The survey included questions about demographic characteristics, health status, pandemic-related stress, impact of COVID-19 on health and behavior, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and fatalism. The sample included 465 participants from 30 countries (mean age = 36.87, SD = 13.39, age range = 18 – 76; 80% female). While none of the study participants have been diagnosed with COVID-19, almost 25% knew someone who had received the diagnosis. The overwhelming majority (79%) had to make changes to their daily routine, and 48.82% of the sample reported moderate to severe PTSS. Fatalism was found to be a statistically significant predictor of PTSS in a multiple regression model and was also associated with lack of behavior changes in response to the pandemic. Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is a traumatic event with a potential to affect mental health and well-being of individuals and communities. Fatalism may contribute to severity of psychological distress and diminish individuals’ ability to engage in health-protective behaviors.

Download Full-text

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 and Lockdown among University Students in Malaysia: Implications and Policy Recommendations

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17176206 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (17) ◽

pp. 6206 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sheela Sundarasen ◽

Karuthan Chinna ◽

Kamilah Kamaludin ◽

Mohammad Nurunnabi ◽

Gul Mohammad Baloch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Financial Constraints ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Female Gender ◽

Policy Recommendations ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

University Level ◽

Anxiety Questionnaire

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown has taken the world by storm. This study examines its impact on the anxiety level of university students in Malaysia during the peak of the crisis and the pertinent characteristics affecting their anxiety. A cross-sectional online survey, using Zung’s self-rating anxiety questionnaire was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Out of the 983 respondents, 20.4%, 6.6%, and 2.8% experienced minimal to moderate, marked to severe, and most extreme levels of anxiety. Female gender (OR = 21.456, 95% CI = 1.061, 1.998, p = 0.020), age below 18 years (OR = 4.147, 95% CI = 1.331, 12.918, p = 0.014), age 19 to 25 (OR = 3.398, 95% CI = 1.431, 8.066, p = 0.006), pre-university level of education (OR = 2.882, 95% CI = 1.212, 6.854, p = 0.017), management studies (OR = 2.278, 95% CI = 1.526, 3.399, p < 0.001), and staying alone (OR = 2.208, 95% CI = 1.127, 4.325, p = 0.021) were significantly associated with higher levels of anxiety. The main stressors include financial constraints, remote online teaching and uncertainty about the future with regard to academics and career. Stressors are predominantly financial constraints, remote online learning, and uncertainty related to their academic performance, and future career prospects.

Download Full-text

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Related Variables: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of Workers in a Spanish Tertiary Hospital

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073608 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3608

Author(s):

Mónica Leira-Sanmartín ◽

Agustín Madoz-Gúrpide ◽

Enriqueta Ochoa-Mangado ◽

Ángela Ibáñez

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Female Gender ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Frontline Workers ◽

Assessment And Treatment

Introduction: We intend to objectify the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workers of a tertiary hospital. Methods: All the workers were invited to an online survey. In total, 657 workers were recruited, including 536 healthcare workers (HCWs) and 121 non-healthcare workers (nHCWs). General Health Questionnaire-12 items (GHQ-12) was used as a screening tool. Sociodemographic data, working environmental conditions, and health behaviors were also analyzed. Results: inadequate sleep, poor nutritional and social interaction habits, misuse of psychotropics, female gender, COVID-19 clinical diagnosis, and losing a relative by COVID-19 were variables associated with higher probability of GHQ-12 positive screening. Significant differences between “frontline workers” and the rest were not found, nor was higher the probability of psychological distress in healthcare workers compared to non-healthcare workers. After 3 months from the peak of the pandemic, 63.6% of participants screening positive in GHQ-12 reported remaining “the same or worse.” Limitations: Causal inferences cannot be established. Retrieval and selection biases must be considered as the survey was not conducted during the peak of the outbreak. Conclusions: psychological impact of COVID-19 has been broad, heavy, and persistent in our institution. Proper assessment and treatment must be offered to all hospital workers.

Download Full-text

Prevalence and predictors of psychopathology in the war-afflicted Syrian population

Transcultural Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1363461520937931 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 136346152093793

Author(s):

Pirko Selmo ◽

Christine Knaevelsrud ◽

Nabil Mohamad ◽

Jürgen Rehm

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Political Violence ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Female Gender ◽

Daily Stressors ◽

Potentially Traumatic Events ◽

High Level

Research on the psychological impact of war on affected populations is important for the planning and provision of interventions. However, most studies that address the effects of political violence have been restricted to Western countries, and even after six years of civil war in Syria, there has been no study addressing its psychological impact on the general population. The present study used an online survey to examine the level of psychological symptoms and correlates of distress in a sample of 387 subjects from different areas of Syria. We used t-tests to compare symptoms across zones with different levels of war activity, and multiple regression models to identify predictors of distress. Results indicate a high level of psychological distress indicative of psychopathology in all regions across the country. Rates were higher in areas with more intensive exposure (‘hot’ zones). Greater symptom severity was associated with living in a hot zone, female gender, older age, the number of potentially traumatic events, daily stressors, and (low) perceived feeling of safety; whereas social support, religiosity, and religious coping were associated with lower levels of symptoms. The elevated levels of mental health problems and direct relation between the level of exposure to violence and poorer mental health point to the need for mental health services. Reducing daily stressors and ensuring safety could contribute significantly to better mental health, although this does not replace the need for evidence-based psychotherapy. The planning and delivery of psychological interventions by NGOs should be informed by issues related to stigma, lack of understanding and acceptance of psychological care.

Download Full-text

Psychological Impact and Compliance with Staying at Home of the Public to COVID-19 Outbreak during Chinese Spring Festival

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19020916 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 916

Author(s):

Huiwen Xu ◽

Lin Liu ◽

Luming Zhao ◽

En Takashi ◽

Akio Kitayama ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chinese Spring ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Female Gender ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Start Time ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Spring Festival ◽

Staying At Home ◽

At Home

In December 2019, COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan, China. Most of the studies related to the psychological impact and compliance with staying at home due to COVID-19 focused on ten days or one month after the initial “stay-at-home” phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The early psychological impact and behavior change to COVID-19 during the Chinese Spring Festival (the start time for recommendations to stay at home) is uncertain. In this study, people from 23 provinces in China were recruited to participate in an online survey, using Credamo. Psychological impact and compliance with staying at home were evaluated by a self-designed and validated questionnaire. The results indicated that anxiety was the most often reported feeling (mean: 3.69), followed by sadness (mean: 3.63). Participants employed in foreign-owned companies were most likely to express anxiety and sadness. Overall, 61.8% of participants reported hardly going out, whereas 2.4% said they frequently went out during the initial “stay-at-home” phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants with higher levels of anxiety and sadness were most likely to stay at home against the spread of COVID-19, as were female gender. This survey is an important study of the first reaction to staying at home during the initial “stay-at-home” phase coinciding with Chinese Spring Festival. Our findings identified factors associated with higher level of psychological impact and better compliance with staying at home recommendations during Chinese Spring Festival. The findings can be used to formulate precaution interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable groups and high uptake of policy during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Download Full-text

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health of adolescents in India and their perceived causes of stress and anxiety

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20205183 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (12) ◽

pp. 5048

Author(s):

Brinda Prasanna Kumar ◽

Adarsh Eregowda ◽

Sahana Giliyaru

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Sampling Strategy ◽

Female Gender ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Gender And Age

Background: Outbreak of the 2019 novel Corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to unanticipated psychological impact globally. Mental health of adolescents also requires significant attention. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the psychological stress and anxiety among adolescents in India during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the most important precursors.Methods: An online survey was undertaken where adolescents in the age group of 10 to 19 years were invited to participate with a self-administered questionnaire. A snowball sampling strategy was used, focusing on recruiting adolescents living in Bangalore, India. Perceived stress scale-4 (PSS-4) and Generalized anxiety disorder-2 (GAD-2) Scale were used. Questionnaires were anonymous to ensure confidentiality and reliability of data. Data collection took place over five daysResults: 156 (52.0%) had a high PSS-4 score of ≥8 and 132 (44.0%) respondents had a high GAD-2 score of ≥3. Female gender and age were found to be statistically significant detrimental factors of stress and anxiety respectively (p<0.05). Academic delay and uncertainty about the future were found to be the most significant causes of perceived psychological distress among adolescents.Conclusions: Majority of the adolescents experienced varying degrees of stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Our findings have both clinical and policy implications. The findings of our study indicate the need to identify adolescents as high-risk groups to ensure timely targeted psychological interventions and stress mitigating measures.

Download Full-text