Abstract
The current global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has brought about an immense effect on the mental health of the general public. Considering the escalation in number of cases, mankind is facing a myriad of psychological problems, ranging from those related to taking precautions and maintaining safety to the ones caused by separation and bereavement. The current study aims to explore whether there is a significant difference between individuals with excellent, good, fair and vague knowledge of COVID-19 with respect to depression, anxiety, stress, level of mindfulness, specific cognitive emotion regulation strategies and psychological flexibility; to find out whether there is any significant relationship among these variables; and to determine whether knowledge of COVID-19, level of mindfulness, specific cognitive emotion regulation strategies and psychological flexibility are significant predictors of depression, anxiety and stress in the sample of the current study. The sample consisted of 402 individuals selected from the community following the research criteria. Data was collected using digital consent form, information schedule and questionnaires, from 3rd May to 13th May, 2020. The questionnaires consisted of a semi-structured interview schedule to assess knowledge of COVID-19, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short version and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. The data was statistically analyzed using analysis of variance test, correlational analysis and linear regression. The findings show that significant differences were present among individuals having varying degrees of knowledge of COVID-19 with respect to anxiety, level of mindfulness and psychological flexibility. Significant relationships were found to be present among the variables of the present study, having differing trends brought forward by the COVID-19 crisis. Certain socio-demographic characteristics and study variables were found to significantly predict the existing levels of depression, anxiety and stress in the current sample. The study suggests the necessity to formulate and implement appropriate mindfulness-based therapeutic interventions to address the mental health concerns arising as a result of the pandemic.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has put the world in a state of crisis and high alert
As the news keep pouring in regarding the number of people infected, those undergoing treatment, those facing fatal outcomes, the staggering status of public health service, the unfateful plight of the poor, rising unemployment, and the grim situation faced by frontline workers (Kang et al, 2020; Lai et al, 2020; Pappa et al, 2020; Preti et al, 2020), police personnel, and emergency service providers, the feeling of being overwhelmed is on the rise (Luo et al, 2020)
Those with various physical and psychological disabilities, physical and mental health conditions, staying at various kinds of homes, residing alone far away from family owing to the lockdown or job requirements and families of frontline workers who are likely to get infected owing to greater exposure to the virus are more vulnerable to mental health issues during these trying times (Liem et al, 2020; Rajkumar, 2020; Rashidi Fakari and Simbar, 2020; Tsai and Wilson, 2020; Yang et al, 2020; Yao et al, 2020; Zhu Y. et al, 2020)
Summary
The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has put the world in a state of crisis and high alert. It is a novel ribonucleic acid coronavirus linked to the same family of viruses as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). This mainly impacts the respiratory and digestive systems, the most common symptoms of which include fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, and tiredness, while the less common symptoms are body ache, sore throat, headache, loss of taste or smell, diarrhea, etc. At the current state of knowledge, people in the elderly age group, in particular, are more susceptible to face death
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