COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index Research Articles

Reframing prolonged negative mental health effects of COVID-19: cognitive restructuring promotes posttraumatic growth

Objective The study aimed to investigate the level of peritraumatic distress in relation to possible traumatic outcomes in university personnel and students across three pandemic waves. Methods Three cross-sectional surveys were conducted to investigate university students and staff (n = 1426). An online survey including the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI), Ways of Coping, Impact of Events Scale (IES), and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were administered across three waves. Psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of CPDI were assessed and associations between peri/posttraumatic stress and coping were explored. Cluster analysis based on posttraumatic stress and growth was used to identify subgroups. Results An increasing trend of peritraumatic stress over the waves was found. Regression analyses revealed that two coping styles, cognitive restructuring and problem analysis were negatively and positively associated, respectively, with both peritraumatic and posttraumatic stress. Two-step cluster analysis conducted on PTGI and IES scores yielded three clusters of posttraumatic changes: IES-low/PTGI-low, IES-high/PTGI-low and IES moderate/PTGI-high. Multinomial regression showed that cognitive restructuring and peritraumatic stress were significant predictors of cluster membership. Conclusion Our findings point out that cognitive restructuring may be effective for dealing with longer-term psychological results of traumatic life events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, even in highly exposed groups of the society.

Delayed Access to Medical Care and Psychological Distress among Chinese Immigrants in Canada during the Pandemic.

The psychological impact of medical care accessibility during the pandemic has been widely studied, but little attention has been given to Asian immigrants in Canada. This study aimed to fill this literature gap by using a cross-sectional survey, which aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Chinese immigrants in North America during the second wave of the pandemic. The study focused on Chinese immigrants aged 16 or older in Canada. Covariates included sociodemographic variables, delayed access to medical care (i.e., treatment or health assessment), and other COVID-19 related variables. We used logistic LASSO regression for model selection and multivariate logistic regression models to evaluate the association between delayed access to treatment/health assessment and psychological distress outcome, as measured by the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. Our study included 746 respondents, with 47.18% in the normal CPDI group and 36.82% in the mild-to-severe CPDI group. Most respondents were originally from Mainland China and residing in Ontario. Over half have stayed in Canada for at least 15 years. The multivariate logistic regression models identified significant risk predictors of psychological distress status: delayed access to medical care (OR = 1.362, 95% CI: 1.078-1.720, p = 0.0095), fear of COVID-19 (OR = 1.604, 95% CI: 1.293-1.989, p < 0.0001), and social loneliness (OR = 1.408, 95%CI: 1.314-1.508, p < 0.0001). Sociodemographic variables and other COVID-19-related variates did not significantly impact the study's outcome. Our findings shed light on the importance of timely medical care access to psychological well-being among Chinese Canadians. Reliable health information, mental health support, and virtual care tailored to immigrants should be considered to mitigate this impact and promote their overall health and well-being.

Teachers' coping strategies in mitigating remote learning-related distress during Covid-19 pandemic

The sudden shift to remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic has brought much distress to teachers. Since the teachers are considered as the major force that facilitates the learning process, their well-being should be given importance. The study used a survey research design to determine the level of distress among private school teachers in San Pablo City, Philippines, using the Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). It also analyzed the sources of distress and examined the different coping strategies the teachers are using to mitigate the distress related to remote learning. Results show that the majority of the respondents are experiencing distress, with most having mild-moderate distress, followed by severe distress. Preparation of learning materials, internet connectivity problems, limited teacher-student interaction, assessment of student's learning, tracking student's progress, inconducive working environment, and inadequate technical skills were identified as sources of distress. Most respondents prefer coping strategies that would promote their overall wellness and those activities that avoid the source of distress. These findings have implications for school owners and administrators, policymakers, and curriculum developers in addressing the needs of teachers by providing programs that would help them cope with the distress related to remote learning.

A national survey on the peritraumatic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on South African teachers: A cross-sectional study

The effects of COVID-19 have resulted in peritraumatic stress experiences within various groups, including teachers. With this study we aimed to determine the prevalence of peritraumatic stress and the factors associated with each level of PTSD among teachers in South Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted in South Africa among teachers using an online survey. A sample consisted of a total of 1,008 primary and secondary teachers responded to the COVID-19 peritraumatic distress index and the occupation-specific survey. Descriptive and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the data. There was evidence of high levels of distress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among teaching professionals in South Africa. Therefore, there is a need to create mental health awareness among teaching professionals and to create systems that support the uptake of psychological services among the members of this population.

Validation of the French–Canadian version of the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index with parents of an infant.

Validation of the French–Canadian version of the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index with parents of an infant.

Cross-cultural validation of the COVID-19 peritraumatic distress index (CPDI) among Spanish and Peruvian populations

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant psychological impact worldwide. The COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) is widely used to assess psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although CPDI has been validated in Peru and Spain, no cross-cultural validation studies have been conducted. As an exploratory aim, differences in CPDI factorial scores between the most prevalent medical conditions in the two samples (arterial hypertension, respiratory diseases and anxious-depressive disorders) from a general population of Peru and Spain were investigated. We conducted secondary data analysis with data from Peru and Spain to validate the CPDI in a cross-cultural context. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) were performed to evaluate the factor structure and measurement invariance of the CPDI across cultural contexts. Concerning the exploratory analysis, we performed a U-Mann–Whitney test to evaluate differences in the factorial scores in the two samples. This study revealed a two-factor solution (stress and rumination/information) for the CPDI that included 21 of the 24 original items, and consistent with previous studies. The MGCFA demonstrated measurement invariance across cultural contexts (scalar invariance), indicating that the CPDI construct has the same meaning across both groups, regardless of cultural context and language variations of Spanish. Patients with anxious-depressive disorders showed higher CPDI factorial scores for both factors, whereas patients with respiratory diseases were only associated with the stress factor. This study provides evidence for the cross-cultural validity of the CPDI, highlighting its utility as a reliable instrument for assessing psychological stress in the context of COVID-19 across different cultures. These findings have important implications for developing and validating measures to assess psychological distress in different cultural contexts.

Knowledge, Concerns, and Psychological Distress Among Caregivers of Patients Seeking Emergency Medical Care for Non-COVID-19-Related Illness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction During the active phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global healthcare system failed to meet the increased demand for healthcare resources,infrastructures, and facilities. The brunt of the healthcare crisis was faced not only by COVID-19 victims; a large majority of non-COVID patientswere deprived of routine and emergency care. Factors that possibly affected resource utilization, healthcare-seeking behavior, service delivery patterns, and national health systems' priority during the pandemic were the knowledge and attitudinal concerns related to the COVID-19 disease and its control measures. Here, we evaluated the knowledge, concern, and psychological distress among the caregiversof the patients attending the emergency department at a tertiary healthcare center inIndia.​ Methodology We conducted a survey-based study using a pre-validated questionnaire on the caregivers of the patients visiting the emergency department (ED) from June to September 2020 (during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic). The demographic details and responses of the participants were documented in the semi-structured proforma. A pre-validated COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) questionnaire was used to assess psychological stress. Results Out of 1014 participantsinterviewed, the majority weremale attendants (72%), aged 18-45 (82%), and seeking medical attention for patients with chronic illnesses (76%). Acute onset emergencies like stroke, myocardial infarction, trauma, etc. were the ED presentation in only one-fifth of patients. COVID-19-related knowledge wasadequate for questions related to age groups at risk for the viral infection (97% agreed that all age groups were at risk), mode of transmission (75-90% were aware of the commonmodes of transmission), and >65% knew the common symptoms of COVID-19 infection. However, only 38.5% knew about frequent handwashingas a protective measure. More than half of the participants considered the COVID-19vaccine as the sole ray of hope and disregarded the effectiveness of alternative medicines such as Ayurvedic/homeopathic/allopathic medicines as preventive options. One-third were first-time visitors to the hospital, while two-thirds of all participants were afraid to visit any hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority (84%) faced difficulty in accessing the index tertiary care center due to transport, socioeconomic support, or lockdown-related restrictions. In comparison, 60% reported some form of discrimination at almost all levels of healthcare settings due to COVID-19-related priority changes. Nearly half (48%) of all enrolled caregivers reported experiencing mild-to-moderate distress (CPDI score=28-51), and 15.7% felt severe distress (CPDI score >51) while seeking treatment for the non-COVID-19 illness of their patient. Age and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with COVID-19-related psychological distress levels (p<0.001 in logistic regression), while gender, education, and residence showed no significant associations. Conclusion Most of the patient caregivers visiting the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic had an adequate understanding of risk factors and preventive measures. The major barriers to accessing healthcare facilities were transport, financial issues, and lockdown-related restrictions. Almost two-thirds of the caregivers revealed mild-to-moderate to severe psychological distress due to the pandemic and lockdown-related concerns.

Psychological effects on self-medication during the pandemic COVID-19 in WP Labuan: A development of questionnaire and pilot-testing.

Self-Medication, which is a practice to self-treat using medicine without consulting a medical practitioner or a doctor, is a common practice and the Pandemic Covid-19 may have caused people to resort to self-medication in order to reduce the infectivity of the Covid-19. To validate and develop an instrument in Bahasa Melayu to assess the psychological distress and self-medication during pandemic Covid-19 in WP Labuan. A pilot study was conducted among 160 participants in WP Labuan. Reliability testing on internal consistency and content validity was performed on the adapted Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) as well as domain on knowledge, practice and attitude of self-medication. A panel of seven experts evaluated the research instrument for content validity and it was found to have good content item validity. The CPDI domain showed good internal consistency of Cronbach's Alpha of 0.919. The mean (SD) CPDI score of the respondents in WP Labuan was 32.55 (15.98). 64.2% of the respondents experienced psychological distress. The variable for Area (town/countryside) was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05) to be associated with self-medication during the pandemic. The instrument established sound reliability and validity and therefore, can be an effective tool for assessing psychological distress and self-medication in the Malaysian population.

Mental Health Risks Persist Over Time? Psychological Distress of Chinese Residents in Canada across Three Years of the Pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been detrimental to mental health. Chinese abroad are highly susceptible to negative consequences from the COVID-19, including the unique challenges they face given the rise in anti-Chinese discrimination. It is important to assess how their mental health has changed over time with the unfold of the pandemic. The current study sought to assess psychological distress among Chinese Canadians across three years of the pandemic (2020, 2021, and 2022) and to identify consistent robust risk predictors of psychological distress. Methods: Three groups of Chinese aged 18 or above were randomly recruited through social media platforms and internet to complete an online survey administered at three different time points (early 2020, 2021, and 2022) respectively. Psychological distress was assessed using self-reported ratings on the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI), where higher scores indicating greater psychological distress. We conducted univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) models, Pearson correlations, as well as hierarchical multiple regression models to identify the time point and sociodemographic and COVID-19 related predictors for psychological distress. Results: The CPDI score peaked in 2021 (January - March), with an increased CPDI in 2021 and 2022 compared to 2020. Residence status and age were identified as significant predictors of CPDI. Those who were young adults (relative to older adults) and born in Mainland China showed heightened psychological distress (βs = 3.82-4.05; P &lt; 0.05). In addition, those who were in relatively poorer health status, with higher self- or family-infection worry, and higher perceived anti-Chinese discrimination reported higher psychological distress (βs = 2.16-9.00, P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion &amp; Implications: Among Chinese residents in Canada, there was a gradual increase in psychological distress across three years (2020-2022), with a peak in 2021. Poor health status, higher infection worry, and higher perceived anti-Chinese discrimination were associated with greater psychological distress. The results urge timely and culturally appropriate mental health supports for Chinese Canadians during and following the pandemic.

Positive and negative experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic among lonely and non-lonely populations in Germany

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing an epidemic of loneliness. Previous studies have shown the differences in positive and negative experiences of lonely and non-lonely people in a non-pandemic setting. However, it is unclear how the drastic alteration of the COVID-19 pandemic may influence peoples' reactions and beliefs, especially among those who feel lonely. Our study aims to examine the positive and negative experiences among lonely and non-lonely people. We undertook a cross-sectional online survey of the general population in Germany (N = 1,758) from May 2020 to May 2022. We assessed their feelings of loneliness with the short eight-item UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), their positive and negative experience of living in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as their psychological distress regarding the pandemic with the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). We found lonely individuals (ULS-8 score ≥ 16) reported fewer positive experiences of living in the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, less time with loved ones [z (1, 756) = -2.5, p = 0.012] and less sense of togetherness [z (1, 756) = -2.39, p = 0.017] as compared to non-lonely individuals. Meanwhile, they experienced more negative experiences, for example, worry and fear [z (1, 756) = 6.31, p < 0.001] compared with non-lonely individuals. Interestingly, lonely people were less likely to view the pandemic as a conspiracy than non-lonely people were [z (1, 756) = -3.35, p < 0.001]. Our results may give insight into attribution bias and the negative affect of lonely people during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as highlight the experience of non-lonely people and raise the question of differences in conspiracy beliefs. For pandemic preparedness and response, decision-makers may focus on interventions to foster social cohesion, empower people, build resilience, and most importantly provide timely social care.

Efficacy of Integrated Tele-Yoga Intervention on Physiological and Psychological Variables in Asymptomatic COVID-19 Positive Patients: A Confirmatory Randomized Control Trial

Background: A study was conducted on asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients admitted in a COVID-19 hospital in Indore, India, during first wave of the pandemic. The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of an integrated tele-yoga intervention as an adjunct to conventional management on physiological, psychological, and mindfulness variables. Methods: In a confirmatory randomized control trial, 60 asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in hospital confinement were randomly allocated to experimental and control groups (n = 30). The tele-yoga intervention included breathing exercise, pranayama, and meditation delivered over 30 min for 7 days to the experimental group while the control group continued treatment as usual. Assessment of physiological variables and psychological variables was carried out before intervention and on day 7 immediately after intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v.16.0). Results: Mann-Whitney U test shows that there was a statistically significant difference between groups regarding all variables (p < 0.001). The physiological and psychological variables which included Oxygen saturation (2.07%), Heart rate (8.21%), Respiratory rate (10.04%), Systolic blood pressure (6.14%), Diastolic blood pressure (8.38%), Visual Analog Scale for stress (62.78%), COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (68.44%), and State Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (72.72%) showed significant changes in the experimental group compared to control group. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that integrated tele-yoga might have therapeutic benefits in improving physiological, psychological, and mindfulness variables in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

Psychological Distress Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Role of Hope.

The COVID-19 outbreak and the worldwide lockdown measures had an impact on the global mental health and psychological well-being of the general population. Several studies attempted to investigate the protective and risk factors for psychological distress related to the pandemic. However, to date, little is known about the role of hope in this context. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between hope and psychological distress related to the COVID-19 outbreak in the general population. The sample consisted of 504 Pakistani people who completed cross-sectionally the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) and the Adult Hope Scale (AHS). Bivariate Pearson correlation analysis was run to measure the relationship between hope and psychological distress; hierarchical regression analysis was run to investigate the association between demographics and hope with psychological distress. Higher levels of hope predicted lower levels of psychological distress. Being female, being older, lower level of education, urban residence, being married and living in nuclear family systems were associated with higher levels of psychological distress. The study highlights the protective role of hope on psychological distress related to COVID-19, contributing to knowledge on factors promoting positive mental health during emergency times and providing useful information for implementing effective public health policies and programmes.

Psychological Distress Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak on Three Continents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

The dire state of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has had a substantial psychological impact on society. A systematic search was performed through Medline, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of individuals in various countries. Subgroup analyses considered gender and classification of countries into three continents of America, Europe, and Asia. Only studies that used the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) questionnaire as a tool to assess mental distress were included in this meta-analysis. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by I2 statistic, and the random-effects model was utilized to obtain the pooled prevalence. This pooled analysis included a large data sample of 21 studies consisting of 94,414 participants. The pooled prevalence of the psychological distress during the time of COVID-19 pandemic by CPDI for the continent of Asia was 43% (34.6% mild-to-moderate and 8.4% severe) which was greater than that for Europe (35%; 30% mild-to-moderate and 5% severe) but lower than that for America (64.3%; 45.8% mild to moderate and 18.5% severe). In addition, the prevalence of psychological distress according to CPDI was higher in females (48%; 40% mild to moderate, 13% severe) compared with males (59%; 36% mild to moderate and 5% severe). Our findings suggest that psychological distress in the Americas is a larger problem than in Asia and European continents. Females appear to be more vulnerable and may therefore require further attention in terms of preventive and management strategies. Implementation of both digital and molecular biomarkers is encouraged to increase objectivity and accuracy of assessing the dynamic changes in mental health in the current and future pandemics.

Percepção de Estresse em Tempos de Pandemia COVID-19

ntroduction: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the mental health of the population. Objective: We aimed to analyze the perceived stress levels and the peritraumatic stress index in two diff erent samples with Portuguese nationality, one residing in Portugal (study 1) and the other living abroad (study 2). We also verifi ed the eff ect of gender and place of residence in these two samples for the two stress indicators. Method: Data collection took place from May 6th to June 8th. A snowball sampling method was applied to recruit participants. A web-based survey was developed to collect sociodemographic information and data on the perceived stress scale (PSS-10) and COVID-19 peritraumatic distress index (CPDI). The population living in Portugal include 369 subjects, and the population living abroad was 44 subjects. Results: From study 1, 43% of the sample manifested high levels of perceived stress, and 46.3% severe psychological distress, resulting from COVID-19 (peritraumatic stress). In study 2, the results showed that 50% of the subjects had high levels of perceived stress, and 50% had severe psychological distress because of the most recent pandemic. Residents in Portugal showed higher values in all measures studied; female gender also showed higher values in the 2 studies, in all measures. Conclusion: The fi ndings of this study suggest that the pandemic situation caused psychological distress in the Portuguese people. Therefore, we hope that this study can help develop intervention strategies to reduce psychological distress and prevent future vulnerabilities in the mental health of the Portuguese population.Keywords:Stress, pandemic, mental health, COVID-19

Psychological Distress among Pharmacists during Second Wave of Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown worldwide have shown a psychological impact among healthcare workers. However, data on the psychological impact among community pharmacists are lacking in the Nepalese context. This study aimed to assess the psychological distress among community pharmacists during COVID-19 pandemic. Settings and Design. A cross-sectional analytical design was adopted to study the psychological distress of pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Bharatpur. Purposive sampling method was used to select 172 community pharmacists. The COVID-19 peritraumatic distress index (CPDI) questionnaire adapted from the Shanghai Mental Health Centre was used to measure psychological distress. Statistical Analysis. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, percentage) and inferential statistics (chi-square and logistic regression) were used. Out of 172 respondents, 77.9% were severely distressed while 22.1% were mild to moderately distressed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Mean age of the respondents was 27.81 ± 6.35 years. Logistic regression revealed that having education of bachelor and above (AOR = 4.489, 95% CI: 1.747, 11.539), 8 or more working hours (AOR = 7.633, 95% CI: 2.729, 21.352), being unsatisfied with the job (AOR = 11.524, 95% CI: 3.574, 37.158), and having experience of more than 3 years (AOR = 2.857, 95% CI: 1.060, 7.702) were found significantly linked to severe psychological distress among community pharmacists in Bharatpur. All respondents had suffered from some degree of psychological distress due to the pandemic. Our findings reveal the need for psychological intervention to alleviate psychological distress among pharmacists.

The potential association of COVID-19 and Psychological Distress and Anxiety in Iran

Objective: COVID-19 prevalence is a new and serious threat to public health. The disease has had an impact on nearly every important economic, political, social, and even military aspect of many countries around the world. As a result, the psychological effects of this viral disease on different levels of society's psychological health are critical, necessitating scientific research. This study looked into the possible link between COVID-19 and psychological distress and anxiety in Iran.Methods: The first large-scale global study of psychological distress and anxiety in public society, this cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study was based on the participation of people from some Asian countries during the COVID-19 epidemic. Only the results from Iran were presented in this article. This study had 1480 participants and used a standard questionnaire called the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82.Results: It was discovered that 1171 (79%) of the participants were female, while 309 (21%) were male. The CPDI Questionnaire yielded a mean score of 54.16±6.13. There was a significant relationship (p=0.0002) between age group and total score of psychological distress and anxiety. The findings revealed a link between anxiety variables and education (p = 0.0001), monthly income (p = 0.008), and gender (p = 0.019).Conclusion: It can be concluded that the majority of study participants were in an unfavorable psychological distress and anxiety situation.

Perceived Stress and Psychological Impact among practicing dentist in Bengaluru city during the COVID 19 pandemic

Introduction: Public health emergencies like the current pandemic Covid-19 affect the health, safety, and well-being of both individuals and communities with psychological implications. Hence this study intends to evaluate the patterns of perceived psychological stress as well as explore the factors associated with it using the validated Covid- 19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) among practicing dentists in Bengaluru city. Methodology: The survey used a pretested, self-reported COVID-19 Peritraumatic Stress Index (CPDI) questionnaire. It captures the details concerning anxiety, depression, phobias, cognitive change, avoidance and compulsive behaviour, physical symptoms, and loss of social functioning and collectively quantifies the stress on a scale of 0–100. A CPDI score of ≤27 indicated low or no stress, 28–51 indicated mild to moderate stress, and ≥52 indicated severe stress. A sample size of 300 was obtained and descriptive and inferential statistics were done using SSP software version 24. Results: A logistic regression analysis showed that the general practitioners had higher CPDI scores which indicated significantly increased stress (p=0.000). Similarly, practitioners with work experience between 6-10years showed significantly increased signs of stress. Conclusion: Every practicing dentist had some form of stress as measured according to CPDI. This is an easy tool that can be used for screening for distress during the pandemic. The risk of contagion, fear or uncertainty of education, financial implications and future practice avenues may be the cause of acute stress.

Supplemental Material for Validation of the French–Canadian Version of the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index With Parents of an Infant

Supplemental Material for Validation of the French–Canadian Version of the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index With Parents of an Infant

Impact of Covid-19 on Psychological Stress and its Association with Dietary Practices of Indian Youth (18-25 years)

Consequences of COVID-19 pandemic can have a detrimental impact on psychological health of youth. Eating in response to stress, emotional cues and boredom may lead to excess consumption of high fat and high sugar foods, adversely affecting physical as well as mental health. To assess the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on psychological health, dietary and lifestyle practices among youth. A total of 261 youth (18-25 years) residing in India were studied for psychological stress and dietary practices during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Participants were recruited in an online survey using snowball and convenience sampling techniques. An online questionnaire was designed to elicit information on socio-demographic details, physical activity, dietary habits and frequency of foods consumed before and during the pandemic. Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) was used to assess stress. As per the CPDI scores of 261 participants enrolled, 13% were severely stressed while 32.95% had mild-moderate stress. Daily exercise during lockdown significantly predicted CPDI scores (p&lt;0.05). Frequency of consuming fried foods, soft drinks, desserts and fast-food prior and during the lockdown was significantly associated with stress whereas frequency of consuming nuts was negatively associated (p&lt;0.05). Frequent snacking and consumption of outside food was also associated with CPDI scores (p&lt;0.01). COVID-19 has adversely impacted mental health and dietary habits thereby leading to severe distress and disease risk among youth. Stress management and adaptation of healthy diet and lifestyle should be recommended as a nonpharmacological approach towards holistic health among youth.

COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index Instrument – Translation and Validation of Bulgarian Version

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 peritraumatic distress index (CPDI) self-report questionnaire was designed to measure peritraumatic psychological distress in a pandemic emergency. AIM: The aim of the study was the validation of Bulgarian COVID-19 peritraumatic distress index (CPDI) questionnaire and its application to measure psychological distress level in Bulgarian population. METHODS: The study was conducted among 42 adults from February 2022 to March 2022. The average age of respondents participating in the validation of COVID-19 peritraumatic distress index (CPDI) questionnaire is 40.88 ± 13.309, women being predominant - 71.4% (n = 30), as well as individuals with higher education- 69% (n = 29). Following the preliminary instruction, all participants filled out the online Bulgarian version of the questionnaire anonymously 2 times within a period of 2 weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Cronbach’s alpha, and Corrected Item-Total Correlation. RESULTS: The CPDI instrument was linguistically validated according to a standard procedure (8) and cross-culturally adapted (9) into Bulgarian in several stages. The overall Cronbach’s alpha for the Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) questionnaire is 0.940. Almost all corrected item-total correlations exceeded the accepted cut off of 0.30 indicating each item was related to the overall scale except for Q5 “I feel sympathetic to COVID-19 patients and their families.” CONCLUSION: The Bulgarian version of the questionnaire reveals good reliability and cross-cultural validity and can be applied widely for measuring the prevalence of psychological suffering and distress in the pandemic emergency.