scholarly journals Association between Anxious and Depressive Symptomatology and Sexual Activity in Spain: A Cross-Sectional Study during the COVID-19 Quarantine

Author(s):  
Alejandro Gil-Salmerón ◽  
Guillermo López-Sánchez ◽  
Rubén López-Bueno ◽  
Shahina Pardhan ◽  
Igor Grabovac ◽  
...  

Introduction: Evidence on sexual behaviour and COVID-19 shows a change in sexual habits; however, there is no research on the association between mental health and sexual activity. Aim: To examine the relationship between mental health and sexual activity during the quarantine in Spanish adults. Methods: A sample of 305 adults filled out an online questionnaire. Sexual activity was assessed with one question. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. To check associations between levels of both anxiety and depressive symptoms (exposure) and weekly prevalence of sexual activity (outcome), we conducted multiple logistic regression adjusted for control variables (marital status, employment, average household annual income, place of living, pre-COVID-19 sexual activity, current smoking, current alcohol consumption, chronic physical conditions, chronic psychiatric conditions, physical symptoms, and days of confinement). Results: Higher depression level was associated with lower weekly sexual activity in a dose-response fashion in the three implemented models. Participants with higher levels of depression were associated with significantly lower sexual activity in the fully adjusted model (OR: 0.09, 95% CI 0.01–0.61). Mild anxiety-level participants consistently presented significantly lower ORs for lower sexual activity than their minimal-anxiety category counterparts. Particularly, the fully adjusted model showed the lower values (OR: 0.40, 95% CI 0.19–0.84). Conclusion: The results of this study support existing evidence stressing the association between mental health and sexual activity in quarantined adults.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abid Hasan Khan ◽  
Mst. Sadia Sultana ◽  
Sahadat Hossain ◽  
M Tasdik Hasan ◽  
Helal Uddin Ahmed ◽  
...  

Background: COVID-19 is imposing threat both on physical and mental health since its outbreak. Bangladesh adopted lockdown strategy with potential consequences on day to day life, mental and physical health and this study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing among Bangladeshi students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 9th and 23th April 2020 among 505 college and university students. Data was collected by using online questionnaire including DASS 21 and IES. Descriptive analysis and bivariate linear regression were performed to examine the association of variables. Results: 28.5 % of the respondents had stress, 33.3% anxiety, 46.92% depression from mild to extremely severe, according to DASS 21 and 69.31% had event-specific distress from mild to severe in terms of severity according to IES. Perceiving physical symptoms as COVID-19 was significantly associated with DASS stress subscale (B=3.71, 95% CI: 1.01 to 6.40), DASS anxiety subscale (B= 3.95, 95% CI: 1.95 to 5.96), DASS depression subscale (B=3.82, 95% CI: 0.97 to 6.67) and IES scale (B=7.52, 95% CI: 3.58 to 11.45). Additionally, fear of infection, financial uncertainty, inadequate food supply, absence of physical exercise and limited or no recreational activity had significant association with stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic symptoms. Conclusion: This COVID-19 outbreak imposes psychological consequences on people to a great extent which requires attention from the concerned authorities to cope with this situation mentally. The perception about the outbreak can also play a big role in psychological impact.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Salman ◽  
Noman Asif ◽  
Zia Ul Mustafa ◽  
Tahir Mehmood Khan ◽  
Naureen Shehzadi ◽  
...  

Abstract High levels of stress are expected when crises affect people’s lives. Therefore, this web-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among university students from Pakistan to investigate the psychological impairment and coping strategies during COVID-19 pandemic. Google forms were used to disseminate the online questionnaire to assess anxiety (Generalized Anxiety disorder-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and the coping strategies (Brief-COPE). A total of 1134 responses (age 21.7±3.5 years) were included. The frequency of students having moderate-severe anxiety and depression (score ≥ 10) were ≍ 34% and 45%, respectively. The respondents’ aged ≥ 31 years had significantly lower depression score than those ≤ 20 years (p = 0.047). Males had significantly less anxiety (6.62 ± 5.70 vs 7.84 ± 5.60, p = 0.001) and depression (8.73 ± 6.84 vs 9.71 ± 7.06, p = 0.031) scores. Those having family member, friend or acquaintances infected with disease had significantly higher anxiety score (8.89 ± 5.74 vs 7.09 ± 5.56, p < 0.001). Regarding coping strategies, majority of respondents were found to have adopted religious/spiritual coping (6.45 ± 1.68) followed by acceptance (5.58 ± 1.65), self-distraction (4.97 ± 1.61) and active coping (4.81 ± 1.57). In conclusion, COVID-19 cause significant impairment on mental health of the students. The most frequent coping strategy adopted by students were religious/spiritual and acceptance coping. During epidemics mental health of students should not be neglected.


Author(s):  
Asifa Ashraf ◽  
Ipseeta Menon ◽  
Ritu Gupta ◽  
Vikram Arora ◽  
Dipshikha Das ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Covid-19 is highly contagious disease and has today become a major public health concern in the developing countries worldwide. This study attempted to assess the knowledge, attitude, anxiety experience, perceived mental healthcare, and oral health among adult Kashmiri population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An anonymous online questionnaire was developed using Google forms to avoid person-to-person contact. The structured questionnaire consisted of questions covering several areas: sociodemographic data, knowledge, awareness, attitude about the COVID-19 , the anxiety level, oral hygiene habits during confinement, care and disinfection control behaviours in the dental environment. Results: Due to continuing conflict in Kashmir during the last 18 years there has been a phenomenal increase in psychiatric morbidity. The results reveal that the prevalence of depression was high 46.3% among Kashmiri residents who were anxious with the thought of  COVID-19 virus. In our study it was also found that 66.2% of the responders had a moderate level of knowledge about being getting quarantined and 97.7% of the participants had an adequate knowledge about its preventive aspects. The anxiety levels identified in the study were high i.e. more than 70% of the participants were preoccupied with the COVID-19 pandemic over the past months. Approximately, 42.6% of the participants have been angered and distressed due to being worried about the ongoing pandemic. Oral hygiene and last visit to the dentist were found highly significant in our study i.e. approximately  36.6% of the participants had visited a dentist among which 35.2% had visited only due to consultation advise. Conclusion: Population of Kashmir had a better mean knowledge score regarding this virus but yet mental health is an integral part of overall health and quality of life. Substantial and sustainable improvements can be achieved only when a comprehensive strategy for mental health which incorporates both prevention and care elements is adopted. There is a need to intensify the awareness and address the mental health issues, and importance of oral hygiene of people during this COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naveen Siddique Sheikh ◽  
Aiza Anwar ◽  
Iqra Pervaiz ◽  
Zunaira Arshad ◽  
Huma Saeed Khan ◽  
...  

Background and objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has been recognized as a cause of direct and indirect psychological consequences that impact mental health such as acute stress disorders, anxiety, irritability, poor concentration, and insomnia. This study was planned to evaluate the sleep quality and mental health of undergraduate students amidst the COVID-19 lockdown of 2021. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, where 261 undergraduate medical and dental students enrolled at a private medical and dental school were approached from March to May 2021. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to identify the sleep quality along with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) to establish anxiety symptoms and the Physical Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression symptoms. Results: The results show that 212 (81.2%) female and 49 (18.8%) male students participated in the study. Of the participants 75.1% experienced poor sleep quality, 90% had symptoms of depression, and 85.4% had symptoms of anxiety. The mean score on the PSQI scale was 8.59+4.10, on the GAD-7 scale was 11.36+5.94 and on the PHQ-9 scale was 13.70+6.81. Multiple regression analysis showed that anxiety symptoms (β = 0.315, p = 0.000) and depression symptoms (β = 0.398, p = 0.000) were significant predictors of sleep quality amongst the undergraduate medical and dental students. Conclusion: A high majority of the study participants are experiencing poor sleep quality along with suffering from depression and anxiety amidst the COVID-19 lockdown. It is concluded from the analysis that anxiety and depression symptoms are significant predictors of sleep quality. Relevant authorities need to set up systems that help undergraduate medical students in alleviating and coping with these symptoms midst the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Rusyan ◽  
Agnieszka Mielczarek ◽  
Agnieszka Kapała ◽  
Kamil Adamczyk ◽  
Robert Piec ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The early information on both the speed and high morbidity rate and, above all, mortality, triggered the symptoms of COVID-19-related panic and anxiety. Dentists were listed in the top five professions with the highest risk of transmission of the virus. The paper aimed to assess the level of anxiety among dentists in Poland. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via an online survey questionnaire. The study used a tool developed by the team of Ahorsu et al. The COVID-19 Fear Scale (FCV-19S) translated into the Polish language. The online questionnaire was completed by 356 dentists. Results: In the studied population of dentists, the perceived level of anxiety associated with COVID -19 should be considered relatively low. Both gender and work experience had no significant impact on their level. When the respondents had children, lived with the elderly, or looked after them the observed level of anxiety was higher and physical symptoms such as sweating palms and increased heart rate occurred.Conclusion: Despite the high risk of infection, the tested low level of anxiety among dentists is a positive predictor of the appropriate level of medical services provided by this group of doctors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Lúcia Damásio Moutinho ◽  
◽  
Natalia de Castro Pecci Maddalena ◽  
Ronald Kleinsorge Roland ◽  
Alessandra Lamas Granero Lucchetti ◽  
...  

Summary Objective: To compare the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress in medical students from all semesters of a Brazilian medical school and assess their respective associated factors. Method: A cross-sectional study of students from the twelve semesters of a Brazilian medical school was carried out. Students filled out a questionnaire including sociodemographics, religiosity (DUREL - Duke Religion Index), and mental health (DASS-21 - Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale). The students were compared for mental health variables (Chi-squared/ANOVA). Linear regression models were employed to assess factors associated with DASS-21 scores. Results: 761 (75.4%) students answered the questionnaire; 34.6% reported depressive symptomatology, 37.2% showed anxiety symptoms, and 47.1% stress symptoms. Significant differences were found for: anxiety - ANOVA: [F = 2.536, p=0.004] between first and tenth (p=0.048) and first and eleventh (p=0.025) semesters; depression - ANOVA: [F = 2.410, p=0.006] between first and second semesters (p=0.045); and stress - ANOVA: [F = 2.968, p=0.001] between seventh and twelfth (p=0.044), tenth and twelfth (p=0.011), and eleventh and twelfth (p=0.001) semesters. The following factors were associated with (a) stress: female gender, anxiety, and depression; (b) depression: female gender, intrinsic religiosity, anxiety, and stress; and (c) anxiety: course semester, depression, and stress. Conclusion: Our findings revealed high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in medical students, with marked differences among course semesters. Gender and religiosity appeared to influence the mental health of the medical students.


Author(s):  
Lígia Passos ◽  
Filipe Prazeres ◽  
Andreia Teixeira ◽  
Carlos Martins

Mental health effects secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic were till recently considered less important or were neglected. Portugal and Brazil are facing the pandemic in quite different ways. This study aimed to describe the mental health status of the general adult population in Portugal and Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyze the differences between the two countries. A cross-sectional quantitative study was based on an online questionnaire. Socio-demographic data were collected in addition to four validated scales: CAGE (acronym cut-annoyed-guilty-eye) Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-2. For each outcome, a multiple linear regression was performed. Five hundred and fifty people answered the questionnaire (435 women). The median age was 38 (Q1, Q3: 30, 47) years, 52.5% resided in Brazil and 47.5% in Portugal. The prevalence of anxiety was 71.3% (mild anxiety was present in 43.1%), the prevalence of depression was 24.7% and 23.8% of the sample had both depression and anxiety. Isolation was a significant factor for depression but not for anxiety. Well-being was below average. Mental illness was considerably higher than pre-COVID-19 levels. Portugal and Brazil will have to be prepared for future consequences of poor mental health and contribute immediate psychological support to their adult populations.


Author(s):  
Nicola Magnavita ◽  
Paolo Maurizio Soave ◽  
Massimo Antonelli

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely tested the mental health of frontline health care workers. A repeated cross-sectional study can provide information on how their mental health evolved during the various phases of the pandemic. The intensivists of a COVID-19 hub hospital in Rome were investigated with a baseline survey during the first wave of the pandemic in April 2020, and they were contacted again in December 2020, during the second wave. Of the 205 eligible workers, 152 responded to an online questionnaire designed to measure procedural justice, occupational stress (effort/reward imbalance), sleep quality, anxiety, depression, burnout, job satisfaction, happiness, and turnover intention. Workers reported a further increase in workload and compassion fatigue, which had already risen during the first wave, and a marked reduction in the time devoted to meditation and mental activities. A low level of confidence in the adequacy of safety procedures and the need to work in isolation, together with an increased workload and lack of time for meditation, were the most significant predictors of occupational stress in a stepwise linear regression model. Occupational stress was, in turn, a significant predictor of insomnia, anxiety, low job satisfaction, burnout, and intention to leave the hospital. The number of workers manifesting symptoms of depression increased significantly to exceed 60%. Action to prevent occupational risks and enhance individual resilience cannot be postponed.


Author(s):  
Bo Zhao ◽  
Fanlei Kong ◽  
Myo Nyein Aung ◽  
Motoyuki Yuasa ◽  
Eun Woo Nam

This study assessed university students’ knowledge and precaution practices of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in South Korea, China, and Japan, and investigated their depressive states during the pandemic. This cross-sectional survey collected data from 821 respondents, using an anonymous online questionnaire designed by the Yonsei Global Health Center, from 23 March to 20 April 2020, which included socio-demographic questions, knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19, preventative practices, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale to assess mental health. High proportions of respondents showed good knowledge of the transmission pathways and information related to COVID-19. Contact history as well as concerns about family members and the disease showed statistically significant distinctions by nationality and gender. On the whole, all participants reported good levels of preventative practices. The Chinese group reported the highest preventative practice scores; and females scored higher than males. Moreover, the Japanese group showed the most severe depressive states; overall, females experienced more severe depression than males. Thus, authorities should especially emphasize the importance of COVID-19 precautions to males. Educational departments and health authorities should observe the mental health of university adults during the pandemic and plan interventions to improve it.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 215013272095368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Bäuerle ◽  
Jasmin Steinbach ◽  
Adam Schweda ◽  
Jil Beckord ◽  
Madeleine Hetkamp ◽  
...  

Introduction: COVID-19 is causing an enormous psychological burden for most people. This study aims to assess individual changes in mental health and health status before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, and to explore potential predictors of change. Methods: A cross-sectional study in Germany (n = 15 037) were conducted. Demographics, depression and anxiety symptoms (PHQ-2, GAD-2), distress (DT), and health status (EQ-5D-3L) were assessed. Additionally, all instruments used were adapted to measure the participants’ mental health and health status before the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19-related fear, trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19, and the subjective level of information about COVID-19 were examined. Results: Overall, the participants showed a significant increase in depression and anxiety symptoms, and distress, while health status deteriorated since the COVID-19 outbreak. Impairment in mental health was predicted by COVID-19-related fear. Pre-existing mental illness predicted an increase in depression symptoms and a deterioration in health status. Trust in governmental actions and the subjective level of information predicted less increase in psychological burden. Conclusions: Our data revealed that there have been changes in mental health and health status at an individual level since the outbreak of COVID-19. In order to maintain mental health, the observed predictors should be addressed.


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