A cross-sectional study of psychological wellbeing of Indian adults during the Covid-19 lockdown: Different strokes for different folks

Abstract

The psychological impacts of the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic are widely documented. In India, a family-centric society with a high population density and extreme social stratification, the impact of the lockdown might vary across diverse social groups. However, the patterning in the psychological impact of the lockdown among LGBT adults and persons known to be at higher risk of the complications of Covid-19 (such as persons with comorbidities or a history of mental illness) is not known in the Indian context. We used mixed methods (online survey, n = 282 and in-depth interviews, n = 14) to investigate whether the psychological influence of the lockdown was different across these groups of Indian adults. We fitted linear and logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic covariates. Thematic analysis helped us identify emergent themes in our qualitative narratives. Anxiety was found to be higher among LGBT adults (β = 2.44, CI: 0.58, 4.31), the high-risk group (persons with comorbidities) (β = 2.20, CI:0.36, 4.05), and those with a history of depression/loneliness (β = 3.89, CI:2.34, 5.44). Persons belonging to the LGBT group reported a greater usage of pornography than the heterosexuals (β = 2.72, CI: 0.09, 5.36) during the lockdown. Qualitative findings suggested that LGBT adults likely used pornography and masturbation to cope with the lockdown, given the limited physical access to sexual partners in a society that stigmatizes homosexuality. Moreover, both qualitative and quantitative study findings suggested that greater frequency of calling family members during lockdown could strengthen social relationships and increase social empathy. The study thereby urgently calls for the attention of policymakers to take sensitive and inclusive health-related decisions for the marginalized and the vulnerable, both during and after the crisis.

COVID-19 pandemic and psychological wellbeing among health care workers and general population: A systematic-review and meta-analysis of the current evidence from India

“…Details and outcomes related to the mental health of included articles are provided in Table 1 . 3 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 All 22 cross-sectional studies were carried out in the Indian population, with age ranging from 12 to 82 years, and the majority of study participants were above 18 years. These 22 studies enrolled a total of 9947 participants, including 5542 (55.7%) males and 4405 (44.3%) females.…”

“… Mean age: 28.95 108 (27.69%) Online survey DASS-21 Depression >9, Anxiety >7, Stress >14 Depression, anxiety & stress Roy et al 31 June- 2020 Across India Cross-sectional 662 General population Mean age: (29.09 ± 8.83) 322 (48.64%) Online survey Self-reported questionnaire - Sleep difficulties, paranoia and distress. Sahu et al 32 May- 2020 Across India Cross-sectional 611 Orthopaedic surgeons – 611 (100%) Online anonymous survey Validated questionnaire using face validation and content validation techniques of Lawshe criterion - Stress Sharma AJ et al 33 September- 2020 Across India Cross-sectional study 282 Indian citizen – 175 (62.06%) Online survey GAD-7 & CESD-D scale - Depression & anxiety Sharma N et al 34 October-2020 Across India Cross-sectional 537 Women professionals Mean age: 32.78 – Online questionnaire form 36-item questionnaire - Mental health affected Suryakumari et al 35 …”

Sleep Quality and Physical Activity as Predictors of Mental Wellbeing Variance in Older Adults during COVID-19 Lockdown: ECLB COVID-19 International Online Survey

“…While these two countries whose populations are fairly large, were not well represented. This could be related to the low use of digital technologies, particularly in India [ 93 ]. Future studies assessing the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on mental wellbeing and lifestyle behaviors in Indian and Malaysian older adults are warranted.…”

Emotional distress, psychosomatic symptoms and their relationship with institutional responses: A survey of Italian frontline medical staff during the Covid-19 pandemic

“…Change in psycho-physical wellness state: 2 items constructed ad hoc were used, adapted from a study of Rogowska et al. (2020) where the participants were asked to assess their health compared to the situation before quarantine and other studies aimed at assessing specific changes occurring in life, like changed food habits and quality of social relationships ( Sharma and Subramanyam, 2020 ): in our study, one item concerns their physical health, the other their psychological health and the pre-quarantine situation was specified as “previous three months”: Evaluate how your physical/psychological health has changed overall compared to 3 months ago, considering a scale from 0 (Worsened) to 10 (Improved). An average score was calculated for each item.…”