Abstract
Background: One unprecedented year after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pandemic is no longer a short-term stressor; the unremitting/chronic effects of COVID-19 disease is likely to cause impaired physical and mental health upon population and the implemented public health and social measures to limit transmission and reduce mortality and morbidity from COVID-19 expose many people to social isolation, job loss, and economic recession. This study aims to compare mental status and four mental symptoms (somatization, anxiety, depression, and social functions) between two periods during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Current study consists of two cross-sectional mental health surveys on the Iranian adult population carried out in two periods of March to April 2020 and December 2020 to February 2021 in two important Provinces of Iran (Fars and Khorasan Razavi). In the first survey, 1337 individuals participated in the study and completed the General Health Questionnaire-28, while in the second survey, 1205 participants completed the same questionnaire. Results: Among 1337 participants of the first survey, there were 876 (65.5%) females and 461 (34.5%) males with an average age of 37.41±10.58 years. In the second survey, there were 1205 participants with mean age of 33.79±19.57 years. The rates of females and males were 57.7% and 42.3%, respectively. Compared to the first survey, the second one showed that poor mental health condition that was 1.40 (95% confidence interval: 1.17-1.67) times higher based on the age, sex, education, marital status, economic, alcohol, cigarette, water-pipe, and sedative (P<0.001). Conclusion: Poor mental health status has increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was a chronic stressor faced by people every day; therefore, more robust mental health-related considerations must be implemented. [GMJ.2021;10:e2199]
Highlights
After one unprecedented year of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first emerged in Wuhan, China, stats show the impacts of the pandemic on over 85 million confirmed cases all around the world [1]
The current study evaluated a comparison of the mental health conditions and four major mental symptoms, including somatization, anxiety, depression, and social function during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
Based on the univariate logistic regression analysis, the poor mental health status of the second survey was higher than the first one (OR=1.37, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.17-1.60; P=0.01)
Summary
After one unprecedented year of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first emerged in Wuhan, China, stats show the impacts of the pandemic on over 85 million confirmed cases all around the world [1]. As stated in Iran, anxiety [12], depression [13], posttraumatic stress disorder [14], obsessivecompulsive behaviors [15], substance abuse [16], suicidal ideation and attempts, and other symptoms of distress could be induced and/or exacerbated as a result of the various COVID19-related factors such as fear, stress, anxiety, uncertainties, escalating number of mortalities [17], psychological impacts of the pandemic (such as the global economic recession [18]), increase of the prices of essential and healthrelated goods, decrease of the income, job loss [19], and the ongoing effects of sanctions and embargo [6, 20, 21]. One unprecedented year after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pandemic is no longer a short-term stressor; the unremitting/chronic effects of COVID-19 disease is likely to cause impaired physical and mental health upon population and the implemented public health and social measures to limit transmission and reduce mortality and morbidity from COVID-19 expose many people to social isolation, job loss, and economic recession. These results revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was a chronic stressor faced by people every day; more robust mental health-related considerations must be implemented
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
