Abstract
BackgroundThe psychosocial impact of previous infectious disease outbreaks in adults has been well documented, however, there is limited information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults and children in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) community. The aim of this study was to explore anxiety levels among adults and children in the UAE and to identify potential risk and protective factors for well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsUsing a web-based cross-sectional survey we collected data from 2200 self-selected, assessed volunteers and their children. Demographic information, knowledge and beliefs about COVID-19, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using the (GAD-7) scale, emotional problems in children using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), worry and fear about COVID-19, coping mechanisms and general health information were collected. Descriptive analysis was carried out to summarize demographic and participant characteristics, Chi-square analysis to explore associations between categorical variables and anxiety levels and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis to determine predictors of anxiety levels in adults and emotional problems in children.ResultsThe overall prevalence of GAD in the general population was 71% with younger people (59.8%) and females (51.7%) reporting highest levels of anxiety. Parents who were teachers reported the highest percentage of emotional problems in children (26.7%). Adjusted multivariable logistic regression for GAD-7 scores showed that being female, high levels of worry associated with COVID-19, intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine and smoking were associated with higher levels of anxiety. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression for SDQ showed that higher emotional problems were reported for children in lower and higher secondary education, and parents who had severe anxiety were seven times more likely to report emotional problems in their children.ConclusionsThis study reports the psychological impact of COVID-19 among adults and children in the UAE and highlights the significant association between parental and child anxiety. Findings suggest the urgency for policy makers to develop effective screening and coping strategies for parents and especially children.
Highlights
The psychosocial impact of previous infectious disease outbreaks in adults has been well documented, there is limited information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults and children in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) community
This study reports the psychological impact of COVID-19 among adults and children in the UAE and highlights the significant association between parental and child anxiety
Studies investigating the psychological impacts of COVID-19 in China, Spain, Italy, India and the United Kingdom (UK) have reported moderate to severe stress, generalized anxiety, insomnia, and depression [10,11,12,13,14,15,16] associated with lockdowns, social isolation, changes in daily habits, public fear and worry
Summary
The psychosocial impact of previous infectious disease outbreaks in adults has been well documented, there is limited information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults and children in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) community. In the absence of effective treatments and vaccines during the early stages of the pandemic, unprecedented public health interventions were implemented across the UAE to curb transmission of the disease These included international border closures, travel bans, lockdowns, closures of schools and universities, strict social distancing, lockdowns and quarantines. Research on past infectious disease outbreaks, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), swine flu, and influenza revealed a wide range of psychosocial impacts at individual, community, and international levels These included worries about becoming infected and fear of dying [5], increase in anxiety, post-traumatic stress and depression [6], feelings of helplessness, guilt, panic and increased perception of risk [7,8,9]. Studies investigating the psychological impacts of COVID-19 in China, Spain, Italy, India and the UK have reported moderate to severe stress, generalized anxiety, insomnia, and depression [10,11,12,13,14,15,16] associated with lockdowns, social isolation, changes in daily habits, public fear and worry
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