Event-related stress, depression, and anxiety in a Mexican sample during the second stage of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Efforts are being made around the world to survey the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to describe severity of event-related stress, depression, and anxiety during the second stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, and to explore associations between these variables, sociodemographic characteristics, and specific concerns about COVID-19. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in the State of Mexico from April 8th -18th, 2020, in a sample of men and women between 18-60 years-old. Variables were measured with the Impact of Event Scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, and a questionnaire of concerns about COVID-19. A total of 5703 participants were analyzed. Around 24% of participants met significant event-related stress, mild levels of depression and anxiety, 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 stress were found in women, individuals with higher educational attainment and those with any current high-risk medical diagnosis, though the effect sizes were mild. Event-related stress, depression, anxiety, and concerns about COVID-19 reached significant levels during the second stage of the pandemic in Mexico though, overall, not a dysfunctional severity. It is important to report tracking of the progression of these variables during the following phases.