The Severity of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Recommendations From Joint Work of Research Center and Psychology Clinics in Covid-19 Pandemic

Bibliographic Data

ID15528976
AuthorsHira Shahid (0000-0002-3548-9585), Muhammad Abul Hasan (0000-0003-2021-3452, NED University of Engineering and Technology, corresponding author), Osama Ejaz (0000-0003-0117-7644), Hashim Raza Khan (0000-0003-2027-3172, NED University of Engineering and Technology), Muhammad Idrees (0000-0002-9839-3601), Mishal Ashraf (0000-0002-3096-7736), Sobia Aftab (University of Karachi), Saad Ahmed Qazi (0000-0002-1522-0677, NED University of Engineering and Technology)
Year2022
Volume13
Pages839542-839542
Publication date2022-06-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpsyt.2022.839542
PMID35795030
OpenAlexW4283159035
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited64

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the psychological stability of general population of Pakistan. However, research on the severity of COVID-19 induced depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) in Pakistan is scarce. This paper thereby investigates the severity of COVID-19 induced DAS based on demographic, socioeconomic, and personal feeling variables by modeling DAS. Snowball sampling strategy was adopted to conduct online survey from July 03, 2021 to July 09, 2021. Out of 2,442, 2,069 responses from Karachi were included. Descriptive and inferential statistics (binary and multinomial logistic regression analysis) were performed using SPSS V21 (IBM, 2013) to identify significant determinants and their association with DAS severity. The result of this study indicates 27.8, 21.7, and 18.3% respondents suffer from severe and extremely severe states of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. Binary logistic regression revealed that age is a significant determinant with odds of having 4.72 (95% CI = 1.86-11.97) and 5.86 (95% CI = 2.26-15.2) times greater depression, and stress for respondents aged 19-26 years. Moreover, gender-based difference is also observed with females 1.34 (95% CI = 1.08-1.68) and 1.75 (95% CI = 1.40-2.20) times more likely to exhibit anxiety and stress than males. Furthermore, marital status is a significant determinant of depression with odds of having depression is 0.67 (95% CI = 0.48-0.93) times greater for married population. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that those who believe COVID-19 pandemic has affected them mentally, fear new COVID-19 cases and deaths, depressed due to imposition of lockdown, believe they will not survive COVID-19 infection, and spend more time on social media gathering COVID-19 updates suffer from extremely severe state of depression (OR mental-effect-of-pandemic = 3.70, OR new-COVID-19-cases-and-deaths = 2.20, OR imposition-of-lockdown = 17.77, OR survival-probability = 8.17, OR time-on-social-media = 9.01), anxiety (OR mental-effect-of-pandemic = 4.78, OR new-COVID-19-cases-and-deaths = 3.52, OR imposition-of-lockdown = 5.06, OR survival-probability = 8.86, OR time-on-social-media = 5.12) and stress (OR mental-effect-of-pandemic = 6.07, OR imposition-of-lockdown = 11.38, OR survival-probability = 15.66, OR time-on-social-media = 4.39). Information regarding DAS severity will serve as a platform for research centers and psychological clinics, to work collectively and provide technology-based treatment to reduce the burden on the limited number of psychologist and psychotherapist

Anxiety · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Depression (economics · Disease · Environmental health · Logistic regression · Marital status · Multinomial logistic regression · Odds ratio · Pandemic · Population · Psychiatry · Socioeconomic status · Clinical Psychology · COVID-19 and Mental Health · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Demography · Medicine · Psychology · Internal Medicine