Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has lasted for more than 1 year, causing far-reaching and unprecedented changes in almost all aspects of society. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on depression and anxiety, and explore the factors associated with it.MethodsA cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted to assess mental health problems from February 2 to February 9, 2021 by using patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7). The insomnia severity index (ISI), demographic data and COVID-19 related variables were measured by a self-designed questionnaire. The factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms were identified by Pearson chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis.ResultsIn the study that 1171 participants enrolled, the overall prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among general people was 22.6 and 21.4% respectively in the present study. Living alone was a potential risk factor for depressive symptoms, while regular exercises was a potential protective factor. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was significantly associated with the severity of insomnia symptoms and the negative feelings about pandemic.ConclusionCOVID-19 pandemic- related chronic stress has brought about profound impacts on long-term mental health in the general population. The level of insomnia and a negative attitude towards the pandemic are significantly correlated with unfavorable mental health. However, we failed to found a significant association of age and gender with the mental health symptoms, although they were recognized as well-established risk factors during the outbreak by some other studies. This discrepancy may be because the acute and chronic effects of the pandemic are influenced by different factors, which reminds that more attention should be paid to the intrinsic psychological factors and physical reactions towards COVID-19.
Highlights
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global health threat, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), over 110 million people have been infected worldwide by February 21, 2021, with more than 2.4 million deaths reported [1]
One study with more than 1200 respondents from almost 200 cities in China during January and February 2020 showed that about 54% respondents rated the psychological impact of the COVID-19 moderately or severely; about 29% respondents reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and less than 17% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms [3]
The results showed the association between depression, anxiety, demographic variables, and COVID-19 related questions
Summary
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global health threat, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), over 110 million people have been infected worldwide by February 21, 2021, with more than 2.4 million deaths reported [1]. In the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were highly exposed to acute biopsychosocial stressors generated by the pandemic, and many studies reported a high prevalence of psychological distress in health care workers (HCWs) and general populations [2,3,4,5]. One study with more than 1200 respondents from almost 200 cities in China during January and February 2020 showed that about 54% respondents rated the psychological impact of the COVID-19 moderately or severely; about 29% respondents reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and less than 17% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms [3]. Another study demonstrated a high prevalence of depression (50.7%), anxiety (44.7%) and stress-related symptoms (73.4%) in HCWs [2]. A meta-analysis [6] reported that the prevalence of pandemic-related depression and anxiety in the general population was 33.7% and 31.9 respectively. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on depression and anxiety, and explore the factors associated with it
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