The psychological and social impacts on personal stress for residents quarantined for COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: El Keshky M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7518796 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to over 150 countries worldwide. Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Saudi Arabia, cases have continued to escalate exponentially. The COVID-19 outbreak has had a negative effect on mental health and well-being. The study aimed to investigate the effects of the strict national regulations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of Saudi residents. Saudi residents aged 18 years or older were invited to complete an online questionnaire after one month of a nationwide 24-h curfew between May 6, 2020 and May 13, 2020. We measured psychological distress using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). We ran binary logistic regression analyses to detect variables that significantly predicted DASS-21 scores. Results: A sample of 2252 participants was recruited from the general population of Saudi Arabia. The DASS-21 score means and standard deviations for depression and anxiety for the whole sample (10.73 ± 10.29 and 6.98 ± 8.30, respectively) were in the range of mild depression and anxiety. In contrast, the mean DASS-21 stress score was within the normal range (11.97 ± 10.80). The mean stress score for healthcare workers was within the normal range (13.70 ± 10.68) but was significantly higher than the mean score for the public (11.56 ± 10.89; P = 0.0006). Several variables (e.g., age, gender, and history of contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases) were significantly associated with higher DASS-21 scores. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a psychological burden. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement emergency public health interventions that ameliorate the risk perception of COVID-19 through the dissemination of adequate and targeted health information that could be a successful measure to mitigate the psychological impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
| S-EPMC8764301 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging infection causing a widely spread pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The current COVID-2019 pandemic is prompting fear of falling sick, dying, helplessness and stigma, urgent and timely understanding of mental health status is needed to help the community. Our investigation designed to survey the general population in Saudi Arabia to assess the degree of psychological impact during the pandemic.MethodsDuring the early stage of the outbreak, we conducted an online-based survey using a snowballing sample technique. The surveys collected data about several aspects of participant sociodemographic, knowledge, concerns, psychological impact, and mental health status. We assessed the psychological impact and mental health status using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21).ResultsOur survey recruited 1160 respondents of the general public of Saudi Arabia. Of them, 23.6% reported moderate or severe psychological impact of the outbreak, 28.3%,24%, and 22.3% reported moderate to severe depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively. Females reported IES-R (B: 5.46, 95% CI: 3.61 to 7.31) and DASS subscales B coefficient ranged from 1.65 to 2.63, along with high-school students, working in the medical field, and poor self-reported health status was significantly associated with a high level of IES-R and DASS scales (p < .05). Experiencing breathing difficulty and dizziness showed a stronger association with higher IES-R and DASS subscales than other somatic symptoms (e.g., headache and fever);(p < .001). Respondents who practiced specific preventative measures (e.g., hand washing, social distancing) demonstrated a protective effect against stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Social distancing appeared to be protective on stress and anxiety subscales (B: -1.49, 95% CI: -2.79 to -0.19),(B: -1.53, 95% CI: -2.50 to -0.57),respectively; and hand hygiene on depression subscale (B: -2.43, 95% CI: -4.44 to -0.42).ConclusionThroughout the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia, the results showed that nearly one-fourth of the sampled general population experienced moderate to severe psychological impact. Following specific precautionary measures appeared to have a protective effect on the individual's mental health. Our findings can be used to construct psychological interventions directed toward vulnerable populations and to implement public mental health strategies in the early stages of the outbreak.
| S-EPMC7354380 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To develop a more comprehensive explanation and understanding of the prevalence of and factors associated with burnout for residents of the Saudi Plastic Surgery Residency Program. Methods: This is a cross sectional study. Data was gathered using a survey, which was distributed during April 2015, among all 57 plastic surgery residents enrolled in training programs across all regions of Saudi Arabia, 38 of whom responded (60% response rate). The dependent variable was professional burnout, which was measured by 3 subscales of the validated Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). High scores on emotional exhaustion (EE) or depersonalization (DP) or low scores on personal accomplishment (PA) were taken to be indicative of professional burnout. Variables evaluating possible predictors of burnout, such as sociodemographic and professional characteristics, were also included. Results: The validated rate of high burnout status was 18%. Nearly three quarters (71%) of residents scored high in emotional exhaustion, and half (50%) scored high in depersonalization. A third (34%) scored low in personal accomplishment. However, only 5% were dissatisfied with the plastic surgery specialty as a career, and 69% would choose the same specialty again. Workload was not found to play a significant role in the development of burnout (mean 70 hours per week). Conclusion: Approximately half of plastic surgery trainees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signs of professional burnout.
| S-EPMC5556300 | biostudies-other
Project description:ObjectivesThis study objectives were to investigate maternal psychological distress, mothers' fear of their children contracting COVID-19, mothers' perceptions of the information available regarding children and COVID-19, changes in children's behavior during lockdown, and concerns of pregnant women in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis cross-sectional study surveyed women aged 18 years and older who either had children under 10 years of age or were pregnant at the time of the survey. The outcomes included psychological distress, mothers' fear of their children contracting COVID-19, change in children's behaviors during COVID-19 lockdown and pregnant women's concerns. Multivariable ordinary least squares regression models were employed to examine the adjusted associations between sociodemographic factors and psychological distress, as well as fear of COVID-19.ResultsOf 628 women, 11.8% (n = 74) were pregnant at the time of survey. Most of the pregnant women (89.2%, n = 66) had some degree of concerns about their unborn babies getting infected during delivery in the hospital. Among mothers of children under 10 years of age (n = 564), half (n = 282) reported change in their children's behavior during the lockdown. Most mothers and pregnant women (94.9%, n = 569) had some degree of psychological distress. Mothers and pregnant women with a college degree had significantly lower psychological distress (β = -1.346; p = 0.014) than women with a high school education or less. Similarly, mothers and pregnant women with monthly family income ≥ US$ 1,333 had lower psychological distress than those with < US$ 1,333. Women with pre-existing chronic physical (β = 2.424; p < 0.001) or mental (β = 4.733; p < 0.001) conditions had higher psychological distress than those without these conditions. Having children in the house was a contributory factor for higher psychological distress. For example, mothers with one child (β = 2.602; p = 0.007) had significantly higher psychological distress compared to expectant mothers without children in the house.ConclusionsMost mothers and expectant mothers in our study had moderate to high levels of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Saudi Arabia. Education, family income and chronic mental and physical conditions were associated with high psychological distress in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19.
| S-EPMC8384198 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in quarantine/lockdown measures in most countries. Quarantine may create intense psychological problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) especially for the vulnerable critically developing children/adolescents. Few studies evaluated PTSD associated with infectious disasters but no Saudi study investigated PTSD associated with COVID-19 in children/adolescents. This study was undertaken to screen for PTSD in children/adolescent in Saudi Arabia to identify its prevalence/risk factors during COVID-19 pandemic and its quarantine.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted after 2 months form start of quarantine for COVID-19 pandemic utilizing the original English version and an Arabic translated version for the University of California at Los Angeles Brief COVID-19 Screen for Child/Adolescent PTSD that can be parent-reported or self-completed by older children/adolescents. Participants (Saudi citizens/non-Saudi residents) were approached online via social media.ResultsFive hundred and thirty seven participants were enrolled. The participants were 262 boys and 275 girls with a mean age of 12.25±3.77 years. Symptoms of no, minimal, mild and potential PTSD were identified in 15.5%, 44.1%, 27.4% and 13.0% of children/adolescents, respectively. The age, gender, school grade, and residence were not predictive of PTSD symptoms. Univariate analysis of risk factors for PTSD revealed that work of a close relative around people who might be infected was significantly different between groups of PTSD symptoms, but this difference disappeared during multivariate analysis. Children/adolescents of Saudi citizens had significantly lower median total PTSD score than children/adolescents of expatriate families (p = 0.002).ConclusionPTSD associated with the COVID-19 and its resultant quarantine shouldn't be overlooked in different populations as it is expected in a considerable proportion of children/adolescents with variable prevalence, risk factors and severity. Parents/healthcare providers must be aware of PTSD associated with COVID-19 or similar disasters, so, they can provide children/adolescent with effective coping mechanisms.
| S-EPMC8336789 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The last two years have been marked by the emergence of Coronavirus. The pandemic has spread in most countries, causing substantial changes all over the world. Many studies sought to analyze phenomena related to the pandemic from different perspectives. This study analyzes data from the governorates of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the KSA), proposing a broad analysis that addresses three different research objectives. The first is to identify the main factors affecting the variations between KSA governorates in the cumulative number of COVID-19 infections. The study uses principal component regression. Results highlight the significant positive effects of the number of schools in each governorate, and classroom density within each school on the number of infections in the KSA. The second aim of this study is to use the number of COVID-19 infections, in addition to its significant predictors, to classify KSA governorates using the K-mean cluster method. Findings show that all KSA governorates can be grouped into two clusters. The first cluster includes 31 governorates that can be considered at greater risk of Covid infections as they have higher values in all the significant determinants of Covid infections. The last objective is to compare between traditional statistical methods and artificial intelligence techniques in predicting the future number of COVID-19 infections, with the aim of determining the method that provides the highest accuracy. Results also show that multilayer perceptron neural network outperforms others in forecasting the future number of COVID-19. Finally, the future number of infections for each cluster is predicted using multilayer perceptron neural network method.
| S-EPMC9540145 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The turnover intention of healthcare workers is a threat to the competence of health services, especially during COVID-19 time. This study aimed to investigate the association between stress and turnover intention among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia and whether social support could affect this association. In this cross-sectional study, healthcare workers in primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia responded to an online questionnaire assessing their sociodemographic and occupational history, stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and turnover intention within the next few months. Path analysis was conducted to assess the mediating effect of social support on the association between stress and turnover intention. A total of 1101 healthcare workers (242 physicians, 340 nurses, 310 paramedics, and 209 administrative workers) participated in this study. The path between stress and support had a significant standardized regression weight (-.34, p < .05). The path between support and turnover had a significant standardized regression weight (.08, p < .05). The standardized total effect of stress on turnover without the impact of support was significant (-.39, p < .05). The direct effect of stress on turnover with the presence of support was significant (-.36, p < .05). The indirect effect of stress on turnover with the presence of support was significant (-.03, p < .05). Thus, there is evidence to show that support mediates the relationship between stress and support. Stress is associated with turnover intention among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia. Social support had a mitigating effect on the relationship between stress and turnover intention.
| S-EPMC8496805 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emergent infectious pathogen causing an acute respiratory disease called corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Virus transmission may occur by contact, droplet, airborne or via contaminated surfaces. In efforts to effectively control the COVID-19 outbreak, the world health organization (WHO) and the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) have advised the public to practice protective measures to reduce transmission of the virus and reduce incidence of infection. These measures include hand washing, wearing masks and gloves and avoidance of touching the face with unwashed hands. The current study aimed to investigate knowledge and adherence of the Saudi population to these protective actions during the pandemic. After determining the required sample size using power analysis, a cross-sectional online self-reported survey of 5105 Saudi residents was conducted between 25th March to 17th April 2020 to evaluate public knowledge of COVID-19. Participants were all aged 18 years or above, Arabic speakers and residents of Saudi Arabia. Scores were calculated based on knowledge and adherence of the individuals to protective measures. About 90% of participants exhibited a high level of knowledge (scored 2/2) and practice (scored > 3/6) in relation to hand hygiene and wearing gloves and masks. Practice scores were positively associated with females and individuals with high income. Lower practice scores were linked to youth and residents of the northern and western regions of the Kingdom. Over two thirds of participants preferred hand washing to alcohol disinfection, and the frequency and performance of hand washing improved during the pandemic for more than half of respondents. Overall, the findings reflected high public knowledge of SARS-CoV2 transmission routes and adherence to personal protective measures. However, public awareness campaigns with an emphasis on the youth and individuals with low education and income are required to improve overall practice.
| S-EPMC7732079 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a worldwide prevalent gastrointestinal disorder which has negative impacts on quality of life, health and economy. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of GERD among college students in southwestern Saudi Arabia and to evaluate its personal, academic and stress correlates. Materials and methods:Through a cross-sectional study design, a self-reported questionnaire was distributed between a representative sample of students in health and non-health care colleges in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire included data for personal characteristics, academic study, and Arabic versions of GERD questionnaire (GerdQ) and Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale. Results:Out of 2878 studied students, GERD was reported by 28.6% and 36.6% of students in health and non-health care colleges respectively with an overall prevalence rate of 33.18%. It was associated with impacts on daily life in 17.2% of students. By multivariable regression analysis, GERD was significantly higher among males (aOR?=?1.44, 95% CI:117-1.65), ex-smokers (aOR?=?1.87), current smokers (aOR?=?1.71), non-health care students (aOR?=?1.36) and those exposed to high perceived stress (aOR?=?1.30). Conclusion:GERD is a prevalent problem among college students in southwestern Saudi Arabia as it affects about one third of the students. Considering high prevalence of GERD, associated daily life impacts, young age of the studied subject and the risk of future complications, this condition could represent a challenging health and economic problem. The risk of GERD is higher among; males, smokers, former smokers, non-health care colleges students and subjects exposed to high perceived stress.
| S-EPMC6806375 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionFew studies have considered the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We estimated the prevalence and severity of psychological distress and characterized predisposing risk factors among HCWs in KSA during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 1,985 HCWs from 6 hospitals across the country designated with caring for COVID-19 patients between April 16 and June 21, 2020. Our data analysis was performed using logistic regressions. Ordered logistic regressions were also performed using forward stepwise model selection to explore the effects of risk factors on psychological distress.ResultsThe prevalence of psychological distress reported by HCWs in KSA was high, ranging from mild-moderate to severe in severity. Younger HCWs, women, those in contact with COVID-19 patients, and those who either had loved ones affected or who were themselves affected by COVID-19 were the most at-risk of psychological distress. Risk factors such as insomnia, loneliness, fear of transmission, and separation from loved ones most significantly predicted elevated levels of distress among HCWs.ConclusionsIncreasing psychological distress was commonly reported by HCWs during the early months of COVID-19 pandemic in KSA. Public health policy makers and mental health professionals must give special attention to risk factors that predispose HCWs in KSA to psychological distress.
| S-EPMC9165802 | biostudies-literature