Researchers have not yet properly addressed the appalling burden that pandemic disease pandemic 2019 (COVID-19) is placing on the psychological distress for individuals worldwide.
A team, led by Yeli Wang, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS School of Medicine, evaluated the factors associated with psychological distress among the general population during the pandemic.
In the cross-sectional study, the researchers examined several literature databases and incorporated them into the analytical studies that described factors associated with psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic.
The researchers sought key outcomes of self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression and used randomized effect models to combine odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
In total, the researchers identified 68 studies involving 288,830 people from 19 countries.
Factors associated with depression and anxiety
The incidence of anxiety and depression was 33% (95% CI, 28–39%) and 30% (95% CI, 26–36%), respectively.
The researchers found that other demographic factors also contributed to this rate.
For example, women compared to men (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.29–1.71; I.2 = 90.8%), younger adults versus older adults ( I.2 = 91.7%), living in rural areas compared to urban areas (NO, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00–1.29; I.2 = 82.9%), lower against higher socio-economic status (lower against higher income: NO, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.24–1.69; I.2 = 82.3%) were associated with higher anxiety odds.
Apart from area of residence, all of these factors were associated with lower levels of depression.
In addition, the risk of infectious COVID-19 – classified as suspected or confirmed cases, living in hard-hit areas, or with pre-existing physical or mental illnesses – was higher. as well as longer media coverage associated with increased anxiety or depression.
“One in 3 adults in the majority of the population has COVID-19-related psychological distress,” the authors wrote. “Interventions are urgently needed for interventions in high-risk populations to reduce urban-rural, socioeconomic and gender disparities in COVID-19-related psychological distress.”
Opportunity to improve mental health services
Clinicians are preparing for a variety of psychiatric issues related to the pandemic to be a moving issue.
In an interview with HCPLive®, George S. Everly, Jr., PhD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg University School of Public Health, explained how pandemic may be an opportunity for the treatment of mental health.
“This is an opportunity,” said Everly, an expert in psychological crisis intervention. “It is an opportunity to address the mental health challenges facing this country. When I say this is an opportunity, I mean it gives us a more socially acceptable reason to look [this] in a world where stigma still exists in health care. ”
While they see this as an opportunity for the future, Everly has admitted that there is some concern about patients being upset about going to seek mental health advice in person. This was especially evident at the onset of the pandemic.
However, to really take the opportunity to improve mental health services in the U.S. and improve the situation of millions, some aspects of action need to go beyond getting people to seek professional help.
One action would be for large organizations to create and cultivate workforce support programs. These are employee support groups that would be filled by other peer workers and not mental health professionals.
The study, “Factors Associated with Psychological Anxiety During Coronary Heart Disease Infection 2019 (COVID-19) on the General Population: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” was published online in Plos a h-Aon.