Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 outbreak can potentially be categorized as a traumatic event. Public health surveillance is one of the cornerstones of public health practice, and it empowers decision makers to lead and manage public health crises and programs more effectively by providing timely and useful evidence.ObjectiveThis paper presents the protocol for a study that aims to identify, track, and monitor trends in the population in Saudi Arabia at risk of major depressive disorders and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis study utilizes continuous, cross-sectional, national-level mental health screening via computer-assisted phone interviews, conducted in four waves on a monthly basis (between May and August 2020). Arabic-speaking adults, aged ≥18 years, and living in Saudi Arabia were recruited via a random phone list. This surveillance system used the proportional quota sampling technique to achieve an equal distribution of participants, stratified by age and gender, and region, within and across the 13 administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. A sample size of 4056 participants per wave was calculated to achieve enough power to detect changes in mental health status. The questionnaire includes the Arabic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to measure depressive symptoms and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to measure anxiety. In addition, it will collect data on sociodemographic variables and potential risk factors.ResultsStudy recruitment began in May 2020. The data analysis was completed in October 2020, and the final report is expected to be published by the end of December 2020.ConclusionsMonitoring the population’s mental health status during the COVID-19 pandemic will inform decision makers of any potential deterioration in mental health on a national level and among subgroups, including across regions, age groups, and gender groups. It will allow decision makers to recognize issues and intervene sooner. It will also provide valuable scientific data to help understand the effects of epidemics and pandemics on mental health. As far as we know, this is the only study that attempts to monitor the mental health status of the general population on a monthly basis.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/23748
Highlights
In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease—COVID-19 [1]
A study in the United States found that in April 2020, 13.6% of adults reported symptoms of serious psychological distress, relative to 3.9% in 2018 [8]. These results suggest that the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of the general population is significant
This paper presents the protocol for a study that aims to identify, track, and monitor trends on the population in Saudi Arabia at risk of major depressive disorders and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease—COVID-19 [1]. Only a few studies have been published looking at the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population’s mental health on a national level, evidence of mental health deterioration is emerging. A study in the United States found that in April 2020, 13.6% of adults reported symptoms of serious psychological distress, relative to 3.9% in 2018 [8] These results suggest that the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of the general population is significant. This effect has escalated within a short time in both of these countries, which demands further and more frequent investigations on trends of increase in psychological distress using standardized measurements. Public health surveillance is one of the cornerstones of public health practice, and it empowers decision makers to lead and manage public health crises and programs more effectively by providing timely and useful evidence
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