Disrupted rhythms of life, work and entertainment and their associations with psychological impacts under the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey in 5854 Chinese people with different sociodemographic backgrounds

Abstract

Background & aim The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the life and work of people worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the rhythm disruptions of life, work, and entertainment, and their associations with the psychological impacts during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted from the 10th to 17th March 2020 in China. A structured e-questionnaire containing general information, the Chinese version of Brief Social Rhythm Scale, and Zung’s self-rating scales of depression and anxiety (SDS and SAS) was posted and collected online through a public media (i.e. EQxiu online questionnaire platform). Scores in sleeping, getting up, and socializing (SGS) rhythm and eating, physical practice, and entertainment (EPE) rhythm were compared among and between participants with different sociodemographic backgrounds including gender, age, education, current occupation, annual income, health status, and chronic disease status. Correlations of SDS and SAS with SGS-scale and EPE-scale were also analyzed. Results Overall, 5854 participants were included. There were significant differences in the scores of SGS-scale and EPE-scale among people with different sociodemographic backgrounds. The scores were significantly higher in the groups with female gender, low education level, lower or higher than average income, poor health status, ages of 26–30 years or older than 61 years, nurses and subjects with divorce or widow status. There were also significant differences in SAS and SDS scores among people with different sociodemographic backgrounds (all P< 0.05). The overall prevalence of depression and anxiety was 24.3% and 12.6%, respectively, with nurses having the highest rates of depression (32.94%) and anxiety (18.98%) among the different occupational groups. SGS-scale was moderately correlated with SDS and SAS, and disruption of SGS rhythm was an independent risk factor for depression and anxiety. Conclusion Social rhythm disruption was independently associated with depression and anxiety. Interventions should be applied to people vulnerable to the rhythm disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Does having various types of fear related to COVID-19 disrupt individuals’ daily life?: Findings from a nationwide survey in Korea

“…The tendency for individuals who had COVID-19-related fear to report higher levels of disturbances in their daily lives was more pronounced in the low-income group. Low income was found to be associated with a higher risk of suffering from irregular daily rhythms, impacted by the weaker competitiveness of lower-income individuals in the employment market [ 27 ]. Furthermore, lower-income workers were reported to be exposed to a higher risk of infection since they were generally less able to work from home [ 28 ].…”

Association of Chronic Low Back Pain With Personal Space Regulation

“…The normalized score is equal to the total score (ranging from 20 to 80) multiplied by 1.25 (SAS: 20–44 = normal range, 45–59 = mild anxiety, 60–74 = moderate anxiety, 75–80 = severe anxiety; SDS: 20–49 = normal range, 50–59 = mild depression, 60–69 = moderate depression, 70–80 = severe depression) ( 35 ). Cronbach's coefficients of the Chinese version of the SAS and SDS used in this study are 0.931 and 0.784, respectively ( 36 ). The SAS is significantly correlated with the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale ( r = 0.30), and the correlation between the SDS and the Beck Depression Inventory is 0.68 ( 37 ).…”

“…The SAS is significantly correlated with the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale ( r = 0.30), and the correlation between the SDS and the Beck Depression Inventory is 0.68 ( 37 ). Both scales have good internal consistency, reliability, and validity ( 36 ). The SAS and the SDS yield convincing results of anxiety and depression assessment, and they are widely applied to different areas, such as rehabilitation, psychiatry, and oncology ( 38 , 39 ).…”

Modelling the COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on Employees’ Health and Performance: A PLS-SEM Mediation Approach

“…COVID-19 pandemic has changed daily routines and brought great challenges in all areas of activity [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Moreover, it has implicitly contributed to an increase in fear, anxiety, emotional stress, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, and depression among people [12,19].…”

“…COVID-19 pandemic has changed daily routines and brought great challenges in all areas of activity [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Moreover, it has implicitly contributed to an increase in fear, anxiety, emotional stress, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, and depression among people [12,19]. According to Qiu et al [20], the COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious threats to people's physical health and lives, and it has also triggered different psychological or mental problems, such as panic attacks, anxiety, and depression.…”