scholarly journals Psychological effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown among students and workers of a Spanish university

Author(s):  
Paula Odriozola-González ◽  
Álvaro Planchuelo-Gómez ◽  
María Jesús Irurtia-Muñiz ◽  
Rodrigo de Luis-García

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychological impact of COVID-19 in the university community during the first weeks of confinement. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was employed to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. The emotional impact of the situation was analyzed using the Impact of Event Scale. An online survey was fulfilled by 2530 members of the University of Valladolid, in Spain. Moderate to extremely severe scores of anxiety, depression, and stress were reported by 21.34%, 34.19% and 28.14% of the respondents, respectively. A total of 50.43% of respondents presented moderate to severe impact of the outbreak. Students from Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences & Law showed higher scores related to anxiety, depression, stress and impact of event with respect to students from Engineering & Architecture. University staff presented lower scores in all measures compared to students, who seem to have suffered an important psychological impact during the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown. In order to provide timely crisis-oriented psychological services and to take preventive measures in future pandemic situations, mental health in university students should be carefully monitored.

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532096708
Author(s):  
Paula Odriozola-González ◽  
Álvaro Planchuelo-Gómez ◽  
María Jesús Irurtia ◽  
Rodrigo de Luis-García

We studied the short-term psychological effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the quarantine on 3550 adults from the Spanish population in a cross-sectional survey. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress were analyzed using the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder were analyzed using the Impact of Event Scale. Symptomatic scores of anxiety, depression, and stress were observed in 20% to 30% of respondents. Symptomatic scores indicating psychological stress were found in 47.5% of respondents. Similar to the findings of other multiple studies, confinement has been found to have significant emotional impact in the Spanish population.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldebarán Toledo-Fernández ◽  
Diana Betancourt-Ocampo ◽  
Héctor Romo-Parra ◽  
Ernesto Reyes-Zamorano ◽  
Alejandro González-González

The objectives of this study were to describe severity of psychological distress (event-related stress, anxiety, and depression) during the second stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, and to explore associations between the indicators of psychological distress, sociodemographic characteristics and specific concerns about COVID-19. This report serves as a baseline measure of a longitudinal project to evaluate progression of psychological distress across stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. An online survey was conducted in the State of Mexico from April 8th -18th, 2020, in a sample of men and women who are beneficiaries of a welfare institution in the region. Variables were measured with the Impact of Event Scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disoder-7, and a questionnaire of concerns about COVID-19. A total of 5974 participants were analyzed. Moderate levels of psychological distress (with 23.6% of participants meeting significant event-related stress, but mild levels of depression and anxiety) were found, as well as high values in all concerns about COVID-19, especially regarding financial disruption, worsening of local security and concern of a family member becoming infected. These concerns associated mild-to-moderately with the indicators of psychological distress. Higher values of event-related distress were found in women, individuals with higher educational attainment and those with any current high-risk medical diagnosis, though the effect sizes were mild. Though psychological distress and concerns about COVID-19 have reached significant levels during the pandemic in Mexico, overall, they have not yet reached dysfunctional levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Davico ◽  
Ada Ghiggia ◽  
Daniele Marcotulli ◽  
Federica Ricci ◽  
Federico Amianto ◽  
...  

Aim: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has abruptly changed the life of millions as travel and social contacts have been severely restricted. We assessed the psychological impact of COVID-19 on adults and children, with special attention to health care workers (HCWs).Methods: A self-rated online survey, including the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) for adults and the Children Revised Impact of Event Scale-Revised-13 items (CRIES-13) for their 8–18-year-old offspring, was conducted in Italy on March 20–26, 2020. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to the data, accounting for age, sex, education, and other demographic characteristics.Results: Data were available from 2,419 adults (78.4% females, mean age 38.1 ± SD 13.1 years; 15.7% HCW) and 786 children (50.1% male, mean age 12.3 ± 3.2 years). Median (IQR) IES-R score was 30.0 (21.0–40.0), corresponding to mild psychological impact, with 33.2% reporting severe psychological impact. IES-R was lower in HCWs (29.0) than non-HCWs (31.0), but HCWs directly involved in COVID-19 care had higher scores [33.0 (26.0–43.2)] than uninvolved HCWs [28.0 (19.0–36.0)]. Median CRIES-13 score was [21.0 (11.0–32.0)], with 30.9% of the children at high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder. Parent and child scores were correlated.Conclusions: Up to 30% of adult and children in the pandemic area are at high risk for post-traumatic stress disturbances. The risk is greater for HCWs directly involved in COVID-19 care and for their children.


Author(s):  
Hana Sonbol ◽  
Hadil M. Alahdal ◽  
Rasis A. Alanazi ◽  
Khawla Alsamhary ◽  
Fuad Ameen

COVID-19 disease was announced as a global pandemic in March 2020 by the World health organization (WHO). Saudi Arabia was among the first countries to enforce restriction measures such as closing schools, remote working, and a travel ban. We aim to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s depression in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey of 1109 participants was conducted during the curfew between 18th of May and 11th of June 2020. An online questionnaire included questions about the commitment to follow the precautionary measures, knowledge on COVID-19, and depression. Depression was assessed with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised method. Females, unmarried individuals, elderly persons, parents of young children, unemployed, and small families were more likely to be depressed. Education level did not explain the differences in depression. However, the more knowledge the participants had about COVID-19 the better they followed the restrictions. A regression analysis revealed that the commitment of a person to follow the restrictions increased his/her depression symptoms. Attention should be paid to different groups of people in future psychiatric planning.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Álvaro Planchuelo-Gómez ◽  
Paula Odriozola-González ◽  
María Jesús Irurtia-Muñiz ◽  
Rodrigo de Luis-García

The aim of this study was to assess the temporal evolution of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown from two surveys carried out in Spain with a time difference of about one month. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and the psychological impact of the situation were longitudinally analyzed using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES) respectively. The Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and the Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN) were also employed to evaluate resilience and social anxiety. There was a total of 4,724 responses from both surveys. Symptomatic scores of anxiety, depression and stress were exhibited by 37.22%, 46.42% and 49.66% of the second survey respondents, showing a significant increase compared to the first survey (32.45%, 44.11% and 37.01%, respectively). There was no significant longitudinal change of the IES scores, with 48.30% of the second survey participants showing moderate to severe impact of the confinement. Low resilience was shown by 40.5% of the respondents, and high social anxiety by 34.8%. Constant news consumption about COVID-19 was found to be positively associated with symptomatic scores in the different scales. On the other hand, daily physical activity was found to be negatively associated with DASS-21 scores. Results indicate that people with social anxiety might be especially vulnerable to the development of other mental disorders after the relaxation of the confinement measures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moawiah Khatatbeh ◽  
Aws Khasawneh ◽  
Hasan Hussein ◽  
Omar Altahat ◽  
Fadwa Alhalaiqa

Objective: Pandemics are claimed to result in certain stressors. However, the potential psychological impact of a pandemic is often overlooked. The current study aimed to assess the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jordanians and to evaluate the influence of the socio-demographic variables on this impact.Method: The current study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design using the Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R) via a web-based questionnaire. The researchers utilized convenience sampling which led to a total of 2,854 participants from the 12 governorates of Jordan.Results: The average score of the participants' responses on the IES-R questionnaire turned out to be 22.5 ± 11.7. Females were found to have more than double the odds of having an increased IES-R score [odds ratio (OR) = 2.2, confidence interval (CI) = 1.76–2.67] and participants who were older than 65 years had triple the odds of having the same risk compared to young adults aged 18–25 years (OR = 3.1, CI = 1.3–7.4). Significantly, having a family member diagnosed with COVID-19 placed individuals at a 7-fold higher risk of having an increased IRS-R score compared to their counterparts who did not have a family member diagnosed with COVID-19 (OR = 7, CI = 3.7–13.3).Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has imposed significant level of psychological burden on Jordanians, especially among females. Governments should collaborate with psychiatrists, mental health professionals and local institutions to offer high-quality, timely crisis-oriented psychological services to the affected individuals for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsufumi Suda ◽  
Yumiko Miura ◽  
Motoko Katayama ◽  
Hiroshi Senba ◽  
Mioko Takahata ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose: Since the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a huge impact worldwide, numerous governments have declared lockdowns to prevent further transmission of the virus. However, both the lockdown and the outbreak itself, have influenced pregnant women’s daily lives. This study’s aim was to assess the extent to which COVID-19 lockdown had psychologically impacted pregnant women and suggest the necessary measures for reassuring them.Methods: An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted for collecting socio-demographic and COVID-19 related information. The COVID-19 lockdown-related psychological impact and mental health status were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the short form of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), respectively. The associations between socio-demographics and COVID-19 related information, and psychometrics were assessed by conducting univariate analyses. Subsequently, multiple regression analyses were conducted to ascertain which variables were significantly associated with scores of IES-R and DASS-21 stress subscales.Results: Of the 142 participants who completed the questionnaire, 6 were excluded because they were being treated for psychiatric disorders. The presence of depression, anxiety, and stress were identified in 17.7%, 12.5%, and 12.5% of the participants, respectively. While concerns about household finance due to the COVID-19 outbreak independently contributed to the psychological impact; the presence of nasal discharge and concerns about social support were independently associated with perceived stress.Conclusions: In pandemic situations, concerns about household finances and social support due to lockdown could become targets for interventions among pregnant women.


Author(s):  
RAHİME HÜLYA BINGOL CAGLAYAN ◽  
İBRAHİM G. BAŞER ◽  
ŞAZİYE SENEM BAŞGÜL ◽  
AKİF AVCU ◽  
FİLİZ MEGA GÜLER ◽  
...  

Aim: This study aimed to assess uncertainty tolerances and determine the levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and somatization in healthcare workers who fight on the frontline, at the highest risk but seek the least help during the pandemic. Methodology: The data of this cross-sectional study was collected by online delivery of a short form of Health Anxiety Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire, the Impact of Event Scale, and Demographic Information Form to 106 medical staff consisting of medical doctors and nurses. At the start of the Coronavirus outbreak in Turkey, convenient sampling was used because of the difficulty in reaching healthcare workers. The mean scores of the scales were compared with ANOVA between the study groups. In case of significant differences, Bonferroni posthoc analysis was used to compare the subgroups. Findings: A total of 106 healthcare workers consisted of three groups: the first group; 28 workers who were temporarily not working during data collection; 46 workers working with non-COVID 19 patients in a non-pandemic hospital; 32 subjects working with COVID 19 patients in a pandemic hospital. The working conditions, institution’s type where physicians work for, and whether physicians previously received psychological support showed significant differences between the groups. Conclusions: According to our study results, healthcare workers working with COVID 19 patients reported higher levels of psychological symptoms. This study is crucial to reveal the significant effects of working with COVID 19 patients on healthcare workers’ mental health, especially in the early period of the 2020 epidemic.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Odriozola-González ◽  
Álvaro Planchuelo-Gómez ◽  
María Jesús Irurtia-Muñiz ◽  
Rodrigo de Luis-García

Background: The outbreak and spread of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led to a confinement situation in many countries worldwide. Our objective was to analyze the short-term psychological effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the quarantine on the population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A survey was completed by 3550 adults from Spain. Symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress were analyzed using the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder were analyzed using the Impact of Event Scale. Results: Symptomatic scores of anxiety, depression, stress were observed in 32.4%, 44.1% and 37.0% of respondents, respectively. Also, symptomatic scores indicating psychological stress were found in 88.6% of respondents. Increased prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms was associated with female sex, younger age, self-reported COVID-19 symptoms, previous psychological or psychiatric treatment, intake of psychoactive medication and negative effect on social relationships and relationships with people living in the same place. Higher scores related to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with most of those factors, and also with the acquaintance with a COVID-19 patient.Conclusion: An important emotional impact of confinement related to COVID-19 has been found in Spanish population. Considering a possible long period of confinement, the evolution of the psychological effects should be controlled to prevent severe mental health disorders.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 237437352110698
Author(s):  
Sri Lakshmi Latha ◽  
Tina Priscilla ◽  
Sree Sudha TY ◽  
Ch. Saritha ◽  
Ashok Alimchandani ◽  
...  

The main objective of the study is to estimate the prevalence and compare the levels of psychological impact, anxiety, depression, and stress experienced by the frontline health care workers (HCWs) during the lockdown and post lockdown periods at Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Hyderabad, India. All participants involved in the study were evaluated by using depression, anxiety and stress scale 21, the impact of event scale revised scale for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a standardized questionnaire. During the lockdown period, the score for depression was observed mean scores to be more in front desk people (2.70) followed by pharmacists and technicians (2.60) and security (2.28) in the lockdown period. During the lockdown, the highest levels of anxiety were seen in security staff (4.72) and housekeeping (4.8), with a considerable increase after the lockdown situation. During the lockdown period, the mean score of pharmacists and technicians (10.33) were more stressed than other HCWs, and the second-highest levels of stress were observed in security (10.11) and front desk workers (10.09), respectively. Our results show that there was a worsening of the psychological impact of the pandemic and an increase in PTSD, stress, anxiety, and depression among HCWs. Female gender, pharmacists, and technicians were the most vulnerable group to develop psychiatric comorbidities.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document