COVID-19: Factors Associated with the Psychological Distress, Fear and Resilient Coping Strategies among Community Members in Saudi Arabia (original) (raw)
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2021
Background: COVID-19 caused the worst international public health crisis, accompanied by major global economic downturns, mass-scale job losses, which impacted on the psychosocial wellbeing of the worldwide population. This study examined factors associated with psychosocial distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping strategies amongst the general population in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous online questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regressions were used; Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) was reported.Results: Among 803 participants, 70 %(n=556), were females and the median age was 27 years; 35% (n=278), were frontline or essential service workers; 24% (n=195), reported comorbid conditions including mental health illness. Factors associated with moderate to high levels of psychological distress were: youth (18 - 29 years) (AOR 3.35, 95% CIs 2.06 - 5.44), females (2.59, 1.60 - 4.19), non-Saudi nationals (2.17, 1...
Middle East Current Psychiatry, 2021
Background: The control measures during COVID-19 such as curfew, lockdown, and social distancing had observed differences in controlling the spread of the disease around the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; however, they might contribute to psychological illnesses such as anxiety, depression, panic disorder, and distress. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to assess psychological distress and the factors affecting it among general population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Seven hundred and thirty-nine people completed an online questionnaire which included the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Psychological distress was found among 35% of the study sample. Western and northern regions reported higher rates of distress. In addition, higher rates were found among younger and unmarried individuals. Distress was significantly positively correlated with perceptions of susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 infection, and the fear to lose a job as a result of the pandemic and the related precautions. Conclusion: Psychological support programs should be provided targeting high-risk groups of younger and unmarried population. Further research should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological support interventions.
Coping strategies to overcome psychological distress and fear during COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
Middle East Current Psychiatry, 2023
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has detrimental effects on both physical and psychological well-being of community people worldwide. The purpose of this research was to determine coping strategies and the factors associated with psychological distress and fear among adults in Kuwait during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Participants with good-excellent mental health perception had significantly lower prevalence of reporting high psychological distress, while those identified as patients as used health services in the past 4 weeks had significantly higher prevalence of reporting high psychological distress. On the other hand, individuals born in the same country of residence, whose financial situation was impacted by COVID-19 had significantly lower prevalence of reporting high levels of fear from COVID-19. Those with an income source, with co-morbidities, tested negative to COVID-19, being frontline or essential worker, reported medium to high psychological distress and had significantly higher prevalence of high levels of fear of COVID-19. Conclusions Mental health services should be provided in addition to the existing services in primary healthcare settings, so that the impact of ongoing pandemic on psychological wellbeing of people in Kuwait can be addressed.
Globalization and Health
Background The current pandemic of COVID-19 impacted the psychological wellbeing of populations globally. Objectives We aimed to examine the extent and identify factors associated with psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study across 17 countries during Jun-2020 to Jan-2021. Levels of psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale), and coping (Brief Resilient Coping Scale) were assessed. Results A total of 8,559 people participated; mean age (±SD) was 33(±13) years, 64% were females and 40% self-identified as frontline workers. More than two-thirds (69%) experienced moderate-to-very high levels of psychological distress, which was 46% in Thailand and 91% in Egypt. A quarter (24%) had high levels of fear of COVID-19, which was as low as 9% in Libya and as high as 38% in Bangladesh. More than half (57%) exhibited medium to high resilient coping; the lowest prevalence (3%) ...
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 2022
This article examines the stress levels, coping responses, and influence of adaptive and maladaptive coping styles on stress in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online cross-sectional survey was distributed to the attendees of a pandemic-related awareness webinars. The questionnaire assessed demographic and clinical characteristics, coping strategies (the brief COPE inventory), and stress levels (the Perceived Stress Scale). A multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted to assess the predictors of stress. The highest adaptive and maladaptive coping styles were reported for religion and self-distraction. Certain groups were independently more vulnerable to experience stress, including young-and middle-aged adults, females, students, and those with a lowto-middle income, with a personal or familial history of mental conditions, and living with someone with COVID-19 in their close circle. Higher levels of stress were also predicted by lower levels of using positive coping styles, particularly positive reframing, planning, and returning to religion, and higher levels of negative coping styles, such as venting, self-blame, and denial. Future psychotherapeutic interventions through the media and digital solutions are warranted to mitigate and manage stress by targeting vulnerable groups, promoting active coping styles, and discouraging negative coping strategies.
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Background: The rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide has confined millions of people to their homes and has caused a substantial degree of psychological distress. This study aims to investigate the psychological distress impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among the Saudi population. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, using data collected from 3036 participants via an online self-reported questionnaire. The psychological distress was constructed using the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index to classify individuals in the sample as having normal, mild or severe distress levels. The study used descriptive analysis and multinomial logistic regressions to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with psychological distress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The evidence showed that 40% of the Saudi population are distressed due to COVID-19, of whom approximately 33% are mildly distressed, while 7% are severely distressed. The distress levels are particularly high amongst the young, females, private sector employees and health workers, especially those working on the frontline. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with increased distress amongst people living in Saudi Arabia. In support of evidence found in other countries, the study has established that the distress levels vary across different sociodemographic characteristics. Therefore, limiting people's psychological damage demands both medium-and long-term policy strategies, which include mapping the rates of stress and anxiety for effective psychological treatment allocation and establishing innovative online methods of heightening people's mental wellbeing.