Explanatory model of symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression in the general population: Cross‐sectional study during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

COVID‐19 pandemic has had a great impact worldwide, specially affecting mental health and has undoubtedly taken part in human behaviour modification, increasing global health burden and with stress, anxiety and depression being the main contributors to this load. Because of the importance of this issue, the objective of this study was the creation of an explanatory model for the causal relationship of the main psychological variables: stress, anxiety and depression in the COVID‐19 pandemic context. A cross‐sectional study was carried out with a sample of 709 volunteers, sociodemographic variables and psychological symptoms were measured through a virtual DASS‐21 questionnaire, during the COVID‐19 pandemic, dated from November 2 to 6, 2020. A structural equation model using the weighted least squares means and the adjusted variance was employed for the creation and adjustment of the explanatory relational model. The results showed the presence of stress, anxiety and depression symptoms among the general population. The model showed an adequate fit (CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.06; P = 0.000) and was able to explain more than 80% of depressive symptoms ( R 2 = 0.86) and more than 70% of anxiety symptoms ( R 2 = 0.72), in addition to showing a unidirectional causal relationship of long‐term stress on anxiety, and anxiety on depressive symptoms, showing a linked behaviour of the same, in the adjusted model. It was also outlined that this model was characterized by being expressed mainly in women, with lower quality of sleep and at a younger age.

Abstinence duration and psychopathology among addiction outpatients during 18 months of COVID-19

“…Over time, the measures were gradually relaxed or eliminated, including lockdown, social distancing, wearing masks in specific locations, and changes to working conditions. This situation has had a significant impact on the mental health of the global population, with depression and anxiety being the most commonly reported symptoms ( 2 – 6 ). A study involving a large sample of the general Catalan population reported a threefold increase in the prevalence of depressive disorders (23%) and anxiety disorders (26%) compared to pre-confinement levels ( 4 ).…”

“…A study involving a large sample of the general Catalan population reported a threefold increase in the prevalence of depressive disorders (23%) and anxiety disorders (26%) compared to pre-confinement levels ( 4 ). Studies describing the impact on mental health symptoms at the onset of the pandemic observed rates reaching 75% to 80% of the population ( 2 , 4 ). Patients with substance use disorder (SUD) are particularly vulnerable to the psychological effects of the social stressors caused by the pandemic ( 7 , 8 ).…”