Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought about several features that increased the sense of fear and confusion, such as quarantine and financial losses among other stressors, which may have led to adverse psychosocial outcomes. The influence of such stressors took place within a broader sociocultural context that needs to be considered. The objective was to examine how the psychological response to the pandemic varied across countries and identify which risk/protective factors contributed to this response. An online survey was conducted from 29 May 2020–12 June 2020, among a multinational sample of 8806 adults from eight countries/regions (Canada, United States, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Hong Kong, Philippines, New Zealand). Probable generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depression episode (MDE) were assessed. The independent role of a wide range of potential factors was examined using multilevel logistic regression. Probable GAD and MDE were indicated by 21.0% and 25.5% of the respondents, respectively, with an important variation according to countries/regions (GAD: 12.2–31.0%; MDE: 16.7–32.9%). When considered together, 30.2% of the participants indicated probable GAD or MDE. Several factors were positively associated with a probable GAD or MDE, including (in descending order of importance) weak sense of coherence (SOC), lower age, false beliefs, isolation, threat perceived for oneself/family, mistrust in authorities, stigma, threat perceived for country/world, financial losses, being a female, and having a high level of information about COVID-19. Having a weak SOC yielded the highest adjusted odds ratio for probable GAD or MDE (3.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.73–3.77). This pandemic is having an impact on psychological health. In some places and under certain circumstances, however, people seem to be better protected psychologically. This is a unique opportunity to evaluate the psychosocial impacts across various sociocultural backgrounds, providing important lessons that could inform all phases of disaster risk management.
Highlights
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was declared by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) a global pandemic on 11 March 2020
The final sample consisted of 8806 adults (Canada: 1501; United States of America (USA): 1065; England: 1041: Belgium: 1015; Switzerland: 1002; Hong Kong: 1140; Philippines: 1041; New Zealand (NZ): 1001)
Significant differences were observed among countries/regions in the distributions of age, household composition, and essential worker, but not gender (p = 0.68). When comparing these values to the national statistics of each country, it can be stated that the samples are representative of the current sociodemographic situation of each region
Summary
Organization (WHO) a global pandemic on 11 March 2020. The profound effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of society have led to a call for action for international collaborative research on mental health, including psychosocial evaluation, together with an understanding of the repeated media consumption and health messaging impact around the virus and pandemic context [2]. Psychosocial impacts have been globally observed during the pandemic. They could affected attention, understanding, and decision-making capacity, which could hinder the response against COVID-19 pandemic, and produce a lasting effect on the wellbeing of individuals and communities. Recent studies found a consistent negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on stress, anxiety, and depression in various countries [3]. A review of four Chinese studies found that 16% to
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