Psychological Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic Research Articles

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic among Healthcare Personnel in United Arab Emirates

Given the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, adverse psychological outcomes are expected to occur among healthcare personnel (HCPs). However, little is known about these outcomes within Ras al Khaimah, UAE. This study aims to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare personnel from different hospitals and clinics in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), UAE. An online questionnaire was distributed to healthcare personnel within Ras al Khaimah, UAE, through an institutional email that enabled them to enroll in the study after giving informed consent. Likert scale was used to calculate the relation between demographic factors and 13 variables of psychological distress. An unpaired t-test was applied. This study shows that 31.7% of HCPs in RAK report moderate to high levels of anxiety due to concerns of potential workplace exposure, 41.6% are afraid of infecting their families and 13.1% find themselves feeling isolated from their families. Those who were younger than 45 years old, unmarried people and having more than two children were more likely to experience psychological distress than their counterparts. While the adverse psychological impact within this population is not as severe as what was noted in different populations in other countries, they must be addressed. It is important to ensure that HCPs have the appropriate physical and mental resources to persevere through similar stressful periods in the future.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers in a traumatological unit

Bevezetés: A COVID–19-osztályokon a betegeket ellátó egészségügyi szakemberekre szélsőséges pszichés teher nehezedett, mely felmerülő pszichés stresszorok rövid, közép és hosszú távon egyaránt éreztetik hatásaikat, különböző pszichés tüneteket, megbetegedéseket generálva. A COVID–19-pandémia pszichés szempontból is katasztrófahelyzetnek tekinthető, mely halmozott és sűrített lélektani krízishelyzeteket jelent a betegnek, az őt ellátó szakembernek és a társadalomnak egyaránt. Célkitűzés: A Dr. Manninger Jenő Baleseti Központban végzett kutatásunk az Intézetben dolgozó egészségügyi személyzet pszichés állapotát mérte fel a harmadik hullám lecsengése után 2 hónappal, 2021 nyarán, még a negyedik hullám indulása előtt. Módszer: Az online kérdőívcsomag kitöltésére 123 egészségügyi dolgozó vállalkozott, és ebből 88-an fejezték be a teljes kitöltést. Az általunk alkalmazott mérőeszközök a következők voltak: Beck Depresszió Kérdőív – rövid változat, Spielberger Állapotszorongás Kérdőív, Események Hatása Kérdőív – javított változat, Megküzdési Módok Kérdőív. A pszichopatológiai tünetek előfordulási gyakoriságát leíró statisztikával jellemeztük, a demográfiai tényezők és a COVID–19-ellátásban való részvétel hatásának vizsgálatára többszörös lineáris regresszióelemzést alkalmaztunk. A megküzdési módok és a pszichopatológiai tünetek kapcsolatát Pearson-féle korrelációval jellemeztük. Eredmények: A kitöltők 52%-a szenved alvászavarban, enyhétől a súlyosig terjedő spektrumon. A dolgozók 61%-a szenved a depresszió különböző súlyosságú tüneteitől. 88%-uk jelölte a krónikus fáradtság tüneteit, különböző szinteken. 44,2%-uk szenved különböző erősségű szorongásos tünetektől, míg 75%-uk szenved a poszttraumás stressz-zavar különböző intenzitású tüneteitől. A dolgozók 29,8%-a számolt be megnövekedett szénhidrát-, alkohol- és gyógyszerhasználatról. A szorongás és a depresszió a családi állapottal, a poszttraumás stressz tünetei a foglalkozással mutattak összefüggést, a magyarázott variancia azonban nem volt magas. Az érzelemfókuszú megküzdés szignifikáns pozitív összefüggést mutatott a pszichopatológiai tünetekkel. Megbeszélés és következtetés: Az általunk vizsgált mintán a kapott eredmények alátámasztják a többi hazai és nemzetközi kutatás eredményeit, miszerint a pandémia súlyos pszichés terhet rótt az egészségügyi dolgozókra is. Fontos azonosítani a pszichés tünetképzés szempontjából a fokozott rizikónak kitett csoportokat. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(52): 2046–2054.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Adult Patients pre and post receiving COVID-19 vaccine at KAMC Vaccination center, Riyadh, April 2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the WHO on March 11, 2020. To limit the spread of theSARS-CoV-2 virus that caused the pandemic, Saudi Arabia took precautionary steps like many other countries.COVID-19 symptoms typically resemble those of a cold and include a cough, fever, dyspnea, anosmia, ageusia, and headache. Not only did the COVID-19 have an impact on physical health, but also on mental health. Numerous factors, regardless of age, including work-related stress, lockdowns, social isolation, and quarantine in response to contain SARS-CoV-2 have a negative impact on the mental health of large populations. Individuals and communities have been impacted by public health emergencies, which have led to strong emotions and unhealthy behaviors. The most common manifestations of psychological problems are disorders of anxiety, depression, and panic. Due to the rapid spread of the disease, persistent efforts were put into developing a vaccine as soon as possible. Despite the fact that vaccines have been widely disseminated and given to large populations, there is still vaccine hesitancy, which may be brought on by concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccines, early trials, and related side effects. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia started the vaccination process in December 2020. BioNTech/Pfizer and AstraZeneca are the vaccines that are being used in Saudi Arabia. The most common side effect of the COVID-19 vaccines is mild to moderate pain at the injection site. Fatigue, headache, fever, chills, and myalgia have also been reported. The side effects are reported to last for one day. This study aims to assess the psychological impact of the COVID-19 vaccine on the adult population of Saudi Arabia.

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric and Adolescent Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine measures had actually affected the quality of life of general population. Pediatric and adolescent diabetic patients are vulnerable group with increased susceptibility to infections and increased morbidity and mortality. They are exposed to increase levels of stress, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim of the Work This study aims to assess the psychological impact of COVID -19 pandemic among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Subjects and Methods This study is observational cross-sectional study based on analysis of 100 patients with type 1 diabetes, aged 7-18 years old from Pediatrics Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University. Patients were subjected to full history taking, physical examination, laboratory investigations and psychological assessment by assessing quality of life by PedsQLTM 3.0 Diabetes Module Arabic version which is a multidimensional diabetes-specific instrument assessing the broad age range of 2 - 18 years with both child and parent proxy-reports. Results The results showed that PedsQL (parents report) total score ranged from 40 – 92 with mean of 66.27 ± 12.48 and PedsQL (children report) total score range from 44-93 with mean of 68.41 ± 12.78. Both PedsQL (parents report) total score and PedsQL (children report) total score negatively correlated with age, weight, number of DKA, HbA1c post lockdown. There is a negative relation between PedsQL (parents report) total score and tanner stage, no. of sibling, hospital admission during pandemic and insulin regimen, so any increase in those parameters will lead to decrease in PedsQL (parents report) total score. There is a negative relation between PedsQL (children report) total score and no. of sibling. Conclusion There was a mutual relationship between the pandemic and lock down and HbA1c and quality of life in pediatrics and adolescences with T1DM in Egypt. Low quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted glycemic control.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 Pandemic: An internet based survey

: COVID-19 Pandemic has caused tremendous turmoil across the world. Disease and measures to control it can cause fear and stress in many individuals, which in turn may lead to various mental health issues. This study was planned to find out various psychological issues in general public during lockdown period. : This was an online internet based survey using a self-designed questionnaire, including socio-demographic profile, clinical profile, and questions about various psychological symptoms. : Repeated thoughts about corona were significantly higher in person with current psychiatric conditions. Sadness was reported significantly higher in non-medical person than the health care workers. Sadness was reported more by female participants and person with current psychiatric illness. Similarly person with current psychiatric illness reported more disturbed sleep, excess worries, and dysfunctions in life. : Major concern about future along with higher reporting of symptom profile suggestive of depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance craving, and health related anxiety signifies that during Covid-19 period, people are at higher risk of developing mental health issues.

A cross-sectional observational study on psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate medical students of Government Medical College, Maharashtra

Background: Students were one of the most affected category by COVID-19 because of uncertainty regarding academic success and covidophobia. Students required to stay home due to the closure of their educational institution. The present study was done to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological status and academic status of undergraduate students. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in all undergraduate medical students who gave consent for participation, i.e., 619, using semi-structured pretested closed-ended questionnaires for socio-demographic and academics-related factors. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 was used for assessing their psychological status. Responses were recorded using Google form and one-to-one interview method and analyzed using Microsoft Excel software using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Out of 619 students who participated in the study, 358 (57.83%) had extremely severe anxiety, 103 (16.63%) had extremely severe depression and 68 (10.98%) had extremely severe stress. In all, 82.07% of students were comfortable with offline practical classes compared to online classes. While 64.13% of students were not satisfied with the interaction during online classes. A statistically significant association was found between psychological status age, sex, and academic year of students. Conclusion: Most prevalent psychological factor was anxiety, and the least prevalent was stress related to COVID-19 pandemic. Students' response showed a positive attitude toward offline classes. This indicates a need for a more systematic and longitudinal assessment of the psychological needs of the students.

Psychological impact of the pandemic of covid-19

The pandemic of covid -19, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2(SARS-CoV-2) is not just a grave physical health crisis but it has caused significant mental health issues as well. The aim of this paper is to assess the psychological impact of the pandemic of COVID-19. In order to reduce the community transmission of the disease, countries across the world imposed lockdowns, schools were closed, infected people were isolated and other strict measures were taken to ensure social and physical distancing. These measures induced stress, anxiety tension and depression in communities. As a result lot of people developed depression, mood alterations, irritability, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder and emotional exhaustion. A number of mental health supporting strategies need to be adopted to reduce the psychological impact of COVID19 pandemic. Some of these strategies include providing psychological support in form of tele psychotherapy, keeping away from mis- information, engaging in physical activity, chanting, yoga and meditation etc. Vulnerable population such as elderly people especially those who are staying alone and those already suffering from preexisting mental disorder should have access to psychologists.

Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Performance of Nursing Staff of Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute, Bermuda

The novel Coronavirus or Covid-19 infection is one of the infectious diseases that has covered the world like a storm and sent the scientific communities scrambling for a cure with the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) declaring it as a Pandemic on March 11th, 2020. Nurses as frontline workers become overwhelmed with the large number of cases thereby affecting their physical, social, and psychological wellbeing. For this reason, this study will explore the psychological impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the performance of nursing staff at the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute, Bermuda. The study explored a qualitative research method utilizing purposive sampling technique adopted under the auspices of Husserl’s phenomenological philosophical theoretical framework. Twelve participants recruited for the study were Registered Nursing Staff at the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute, Bermuda. One on one interview used as a method of data collection using interview guide. The data was analyzed using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method. Ethical approval obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Bermuda Hospital Board. Three themes emerge: mental/psychological response to Covid 19, Psychological effect of Covid-19, and Impact of Covid 19 on staff performance. Covid 19 pandemic has affected the performance of Registered Nursing Staff of MAWI in Bermuda. Therefore, to forestall further effects, there is need for the MAWI Bermuda to provide adequate mental and psychological support to Registered Nurses affected by Covid 19 Pandemic. Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic, Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute- Bermuda, Nursing staff, psychological impact, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Practitioners in Selangor, Malaysia

Introduction: The Coronavirus disease pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has had psychological implications and altered the public’s well-being. In response to the pandemic, mental health practitioners play an essential role in mitigating the adverse psychological effects among the public. However, as the demand for mental health services increases, the responsibilities of mental health professionals are far stretched from what they can handle. Therefore, this research is aimed to explore the psychological impact of the pandemic on the mental health practitioners in Selangor and their coping strategies. Method: A total of 10 mental health practitioners who are clinical psychologists and counselors participated in the one-to-one interview. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Result: The higher client loads, the transition to virtual therapy, burnout, and anxiety were found to have an impact on the mental health practitioners’ well-being. Despite the challenging psychological impact, the mental health practitioners expressed a high level of satisfaction with their jobs, which they attributed to the supportive organisational culture and their intrinsic drive for selecting this profession. The mental health practitioners have reported that perceived organisational support, social support, and self-care approaches are effective coping mechanisms. Mindfulness skills such as breathing techniques and meditation are often practiced by the participants to calm the mind and body from a long day of work. Conclusion: The implication of the study contributes to breaking the stigmatisation of help seeking behaviour among the helping professions, as well as urging the policy makers, governments, and foundations to play a part in providing accessible and quality mental healthcare to the society.

Short-Term Psychological Impact of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic on Healthcare Workers of a Cancer Treatment Center: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The sudden emergence of the novel and severe 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) would be expected to impact the mental health of healthcare workers and thus represent a challenge to psychological resilience. In order to reduce psychological impacts, more research data are needed to help develop evidence-based strategies. We conducted a single center, cross-sectional study, with the aim of assessing the immediate psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical and paramedical staff in a cancer treatment center providing continuous health care during the pandemic. Methods: From April 19th to May 5th, 2020, medical and nursing staff from Oncology and Hematology Center of Mohammed VI University Teaching Hospital was invited to participate with a self-report questionnaire. We used Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) to evaluate stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, respectively. Additional information on demographic characteristics, medical history, exposure to COVID-19, and accessed mental health services were included in the questionnaire. Results: We received 93 completed questionnaires. Among all healthcare workers included in this study, 30.1% reported stress, 32.3% had anxiety, 30.1% reported depression, and 31.2% had insomnia symptoms. Occupation, female gender, concomitant chronic diseases, history of mental disorders, and history of contact with suspected or confirmed patients were risk factors for psychological disturbances, whereas care provided by hospital decision-makers, and full coverage of all departments with protective measures were protective factors. Conclusion: During the initial phase of COVID-19 outbreak in Morocco, about one-third of the respondents reported moderate to severe psychological impact, and more than half rated their anxiety, depression symptoms, and insomnia as moderate to severe. Our findings emphasize the importance ...........

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Persons with Multiple Sclerosis in Saudi Arabia

To evaluate, in a Saudi Arabian context, how the COVID-19 pandemic psychologically impacted persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). A cross-sectional study was undertaken during the period from October 2021 to March 2022. 738 participants resident in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) completed a self-administered online questionnaire. The research focused on persons diagnosed with MS. Participant ages spanned from 18 to over 55. The mean was 36.1±12.9 years old. Four hundred eighty-nine (66.3%) of the 738 participants were female. Two hundred sixty-four (35.8%) were single. Four hundred twelve (55.8%) were married. Six hundred eighty-five (92.8%) had received a COVID-19 vaccine. Regarding MS duration, 117 (15.9%) had been diagnosed for less than 2 years, 171 (23.2%) for 2-5 years, while 251 (34%) had the condition for 10 or more years. Regarding psychological health, 11.2% of participants complained of minimal/no depression, 33.3% of mild depression, 28.3% of moderate depression, and 27.1% of moderately severe to severe depression symptoms. Concerning anxiety, 17.2% of participants reported minimal anxiety, 36.9% mild, 23.3% moderate, while 22.6% suffered from severe anxiety symptoms. A high prevalence of depression and anxiety was found, along with high prevalence of co-occurrence of these disorders among PwMS.

Assessment of Mental Health in Medical and Dental College Students in Jazan Province to See the Delayed Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Survey

Assessment of Mental Health in Medical and Dental College Students in Jazan Province to See the Delayed Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Survey

Psychological impact of Covid-19 pandemic in mental healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study in an Italian Department of Mental Health.

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a great impact on the lives of healthcare workers, but its psychological impact on Mental Healthcare Workers (MHWs) remains to be better explored. The aims of the present study were to assess the correlates and predictors of stress and adverse psychological effects in MHWs during the first waves of the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 124 MHWs (psychiatrist/psychiatry resident, nurse, psychologist/psychotherapist, psychiatric rehabilitation therapist/educator, other mental health professional) working in public facilities of the ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy, was assessed between June 28, 2020 and August 10, 2020 with an online questionnaire that included sociodemographic, professional and Covid-19 exposure information, the Impact of Event Scale - Revised and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21. Multivariate linear regression models were designed to identify individual predictors of post-traumatic, depressive, anxiety and stress-symptoms. The professional role of nurse, having more years of professional experience and experiencing the death of a patient emerged as predictors of more severe post-traumatic symptoms. The professional role of nurse emerged as the only predictor of more severe depressive symptoms; the professional role of nurse and having more years of professional experience emerged as predictors of more severe anxiety symptoms; more years of professional experience, higher workloads, worse team relationships and experiencing the death of a loved one emerged as predictors of more severe stress symptoms. Alongside other stressful factors, the professional role of nurse and more years of professional experience emerged as predictors of adverse psychological events. Working as a MHW, particularly with high levels of contact with patients during the Covid-19 pandemic, may be considered strenuous work, requiring dedicated training and interventions to improve resilience. Anxiety, Covid-19, depression, mental healthcare workers, stress-related disorder, stressful life events.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on primary health care professionals in Greece.

Pandemics precipitate feelings of discomfort and anxiety in healthcare professionals. This study investigates the prevalence of anxiety and depression among public primary health care professionals (PHCPs) in Greece, along with the demographic risk factors, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to address work exhaustion and protect frontline professionals' psycho-emotional balance. This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2021 to August 2021, using an online questionnaire (demographic data, GAD-7, PHQ-9). Eligible participants (medical, nursing, allied professionals) were PHCPs employed in Greek public PHC facilities. Analysis involved descriptive statistics to present sociodemographic characteristics, participants' experience with COVID-19, anxiety and depression levels. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate the association between sociodemographic factors and the anxiety and depression levels, and multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the presence of predictive factors for anxiety and depression. In total, 236 PHCPs participated in the study, with a mean age of 46 (SD 9.3) years and a mean professional experience of 14.71 (SD 9.2) years. Most participants were women (71.4%) and the majority were General Practitioners (38.9%) and Nurses (35.2%). Anxiety (33.1% mild, 29.9% moderate/ severe) and depression (33.9% mild, 25.9% moderate/ severe) were prevalent among PHCPs. The female gender is the most important predictor of anxiety manifestations (OR:3.50, 95%CI:1.39-10.7; p=0.014). Participants older than 50 years have a lower risk of both anxiety (OR=0.46, 95%CI:0.20-0.99; p=0.049) and depression (OR=0.48, 95%CI:0.23-0.95; p=0.039). PHCPs working in rural facilities have a lower risk of anxiety (OR:0.34, 95%CI:0.137-0.80; p=0.016). Previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 was not associated either with anxiety (p=0.087) or with depression (p=0.056). Notably, having a friend, relative, or coworker who was hospitalized for COVID-19 or died from it, was not associated with the presence of anxiety or depressive symptoms. Additionally, living with someone in a high-risk group for severe SARS-CoV-2, living with children or being at high risk for severe COVID-19 was not associated with higher GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores. Findings indicate concerning levels of psychological distress among PHCPs. Early recognition of emotional discomfort in PHCPs and the prompt intervention could reinforce PHCPs' resilience against the pandemic.

Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic

Thousands of millions of people faced devastating impacts around the world during COVID-19 pandemic. Not only anxiety or fear of COVID-19 dominated the negative psychological impacts, mental disorders such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sleep disturbance increasingly appeared during or after the pandemic. Apart from the confirmed patients, survivors of the viral infection, close family members, elders, children and adolescents, people quarantined, people with preexisting psychiatric conditions, frontline police, emergency medical services, and health-care workers, mental distress specific to the vulnerable groups should be recognized. Preventive strategies including self-regulations, leadership, and teamwork were highlighted. Specific evaluations for at-risk population and efficacious treatment such as cognitive behavioral treatment could be considered. This article delineated directions for mental health workers during pandemic.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical students of Madhya Pradesh, India

Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical students of Madhya Pradesh, India

Psychological Distress & Coping among Nurses working with COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care hospital in India: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: This study aimed to understand the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Indian nursing professionals and their strategies of coping with it. Method: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted on nursing professionals (staff and students) of a tertiary care hospital, medical college and research centre in North India. Results: Among 103 participants, most participants were females (84.5%), graduates, married and lived with families. Most participants and their families responded to COVID duty with anxiety, fear and stress. Physical discomfort and inadequate PPE supply were main challenges perceived while working. Depressive symptoms were seen in 41% participants, 55% reported anxiety and 35% reported clinically significant stress. Participants working in COVID duty reported significantly higher anxiety compared to those who were not. Those with positive personal and family reactions towards COVID duties reported lower anxiety and stress scores. Those who perceived work-related discrimination had higher depression, anxiety and stress scores. Majority of participants employed approach-based coping styles with acceptance as the most commonly used coping strategy. Acceptance and planning were significantly higher in participants who had done COVID-19 duties compared to those who had not. Conclusion: Understanding adverse psychological impact of COVID-19 on nursing professionals is of utmost importance as it has a direct bearing on patient care. Efforts for promoting comfort in work environment, psychological, familial and social support and activities promoting healthy coping are recommended during challenging times.

The Socio-economic and Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Malaysian Private Dentists: An Exploratory Study

The global COVID-19 Pandemic combined with nationwide economic depression and public fear had caused dental clinics in Malaysia to experience a significant reduction in patient visits with a potential impact on the socio-economic and psychological status of Malaysian private dentists. This study assesses the socio-economic and psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Malaysian private dentists. A cross-sectional online questionnaire included demographic profile, socioeconomic factors and psychological status was used. Participation was voluntary. Descriptive statistics on the three variables were generated. Pearson Chi-square test was used to check for significant difference (p<0.05). In all, 95 private dentists voluntarily participated. Male and female participants were equally represented, mostly in the 22-25 group (62%). The Job Insecurity Scale measurement showed 58% and 48.5% participants respectively, were socio-economically and psychologically affected. The Financial Threat Scale showed 44.4% of respondents were financially affected, while 51% (measured by the General health questionnaire) displayed affected health. The socio-economic-psychological aspect was found to be statistically significant (p =0.018). Within the limitation of sample size, participating private dentists were found to be socio-economically and psychologically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract #1318481: Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Waitlisted Prebariatric Surgery Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of bariatric surgeries decreased to ensure patient safety. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of such delays on the psychological status and weight management behaviors of waitlisted prebariatric surgery patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the General Population of Oman: A National Community-based Study

Introduction: Despite evidence that that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in general poses unprecedented risks, it is unclear to what extent these consequences have affected the mental health of the general population. This study aims to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population in Oman and to associate the physical health status and psychological impact. Methods: A cross-sectional online anonymous survey in which 831 adults from Oman’s general population were randomly sampled as per the inclusion criteria. The medical research and ethics commission approved the project. Data were collected after obtaining informed consent from the study participants. The criteria of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was used to measure the psychological impact. Results: Among 831 respondents in this study, only 4.2 % and 14.9 % of total participants reported depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. There is a statistically significant difference in psychological scores between males and females at the p < .05 level: F (1, 829) = 16.03, p < .001. As a result of this discovery, it appears that women are mentally affected by the pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 epidemic has had a severe impact on the general population’s psychological health in Oman. This survey found that the global health crisis has a psychological impact on most of the adult population, regardless of their age. As a result, early detection, urgent medical intervention, and counseling are required.