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Determination of specific life changes on psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic might affect many aspects of the community and a range of psychiatric risk factors due to life changes, including people's behaviors and perceptions. In this study, we aim to identify specific life changes that correlate with psychological distress within the social context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. In July 2020, workers (company employees and civil servants) in Japan were recruited from local institutions that had not had any confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as neighborhoods that had only a few cases. Participants completed a COVID-19 mental health survey (N = 609; 66.9% male). Psychological distress was identified based on Kessler-6 scores (≥13). Life changes were assessed by an open-ended question about life changes in participants and their family, workplace, and community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A convergent mixed-method approach was used to compare the context of perceived life changes in participants with psychological distress and those without. As a result, 8.9% of participants had psychological distress, and sex and age categories were different between those with psychological distress and those without. Among the participants who responded to the open-ended question, the biggest life change was "staying at home," and the next biggest life changes were "event cancellations" and "increased workload" in participants with psychological distress, and "no changes" and "mask-wearing" in those without psychological distress, respectively. Regarding emotional/perceptual changes, "stress," "fear," and "anger" were more frequently reported by participants with psychological distress than those without (P <0.001). By integrating these findings, we identified themes focusing on vulnerable characteristics related to psychological distress. This study may provide a source in society for mediating psychological distress during a pandemic.

SUBMITTER: Kabasawa K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8405026 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundDuring major pandemics such as COVID-19, the fear of being infected, uncertain prognoses, and the imposition of restrictions may result in greater odds of emotional and psychological distress. Hence, the present study examines the predictors of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, and how they differ by gender.MethodsData of 2,756 adults aged 18 years and above from a cross-sectional online survey conducted between July and October 2020 was used for this study. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was carried out. The results were presented as adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with their respective confidence interval (CI).ResultsLower odds of psychological distress were found among males compared to females and among individuals aged 45-64 or 65-84 years compared to those aged 18-44. The odds of psychological distress decreased with a rise in income, with individuals whose annual income was greater than or equal to $100,000 being less likely to experience psychological distress compared to those whose income was less than $20,000. The odds of psychological distress were higher among residents of Ontario compared to residents of Quebec. Similarly, the odds of psychological distress were higher among individuals who reported experiencing COVID-19 symptoms compared to those who did not report any COVID-19 symptoms. The disaggregated results by gender showed that age, province, and self-reported COVID-19 symptoms had significant associations with psychological distress in both males and females, but these effects were more pronounced among females compared to males. In addition, income was negatively associated with psychological distress for both males and females, with this effect being stronger among males.ConclusionFive exposure variables (gender, age, province, experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and total annual income in 2019) significantly predicted the likelihood of reporting psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Clearly, there is an imminent need to provide mental health support services to vulnerable groups. Additionally, interventions and policies aimed at combating psychological distress during pandemics such as COVID-19 should be gender specific.

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Determination of specific life changes on psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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