COVID-19-Related Anxiety and the Coping Strategies in the Southeast Ethiopia

Abstract

Background:The pandemic of coronavirus disease spreading is impacting mental health globally. Even though the pandemic is challenging for patients, the community, policymakers, as well as health organizations, and teams, the data on COVID-19 and its association with anxiety and coping mechanisms towards infection among community members are currently limited. Thus, the study is intended to assess COVID-19-related levels of anxiety and coping strategies among community members of Bale and East Bale Zones, Southeast Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based survey was carried out among 634 study participants of Bale and East Bale Zones from June 1 to 20, 2020. The level of anxiety was determined by using the 5-item Coronavirus Scale and the coping strategies were determined by using the 15-item Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. Bi-variable analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the relationship among the variables. Results: COVID-19-related dysfunctional level of anxiety was found 95 (16.58%). About 290 (50.6%) respondents were copied from anxiety that occurred as a result of COVID-19. Factors significantly associated with the dysfunctional level of anxiety related to COVID-19 were being an urban resident (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.86), those who had no information from TV/radio (AOR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.84), and walking a long distance more than 1 hour from the health institution (AOR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.97). Conclusion: COVID-19-related dysfunctional levels of anxiety were 16.58% in the study community. Half of the community was coped with COVID-19-related anxiety. Being an urban resident and walking along distances more than 1 hour from the health facility were the factors that decreased the odds of having a dysfunctional anxiety, whereas respondents who had no information from TV/radio increased the odds of having a dysfunctional anxiety. Accordingly, focusing on these identified factors could improve a dysfunctional level of anxiety in the study community.

COVID-19-related dysfunctional anxiety and associated factors among adolescents in Southwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

“…Further, the study in China evaluated COVID-19-related anxiety using Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. Contrary to this, a study conducted in Southeast Ethiopia (16.58%) among residents of the community aged 18 years and above [ 37 ], and in Turkey (13.63%) among university students [ 38 ] reported lower findings.…”

Factors Associated with Healthcare Utilization Among Adults in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…However, most studies reported that females tend to avoid healthcare during the pandemic (Jiskrova et al, 2021; Kang, 2013; Yunus et al, 2021). Women were more likely to have suffered from anxiety and insomnia during the pandemic (Wong et al, 2020) and more likely to experience unmet healthcare needs than men (Kim et al, 2021) which may, in turn, have been affected by strategies employed to cope with the pandemic (Teferu Engida et al, 2021).…”