Exploratory study on the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general Brazilian population

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the main international concerns regarding its impact on mental health. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and behavioral aspects amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in a Brazilian population. An online survey was administered from May 22 to June 5, 2020 using a questionnaire comprising of sociodemographic information, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Coping Strategies Inventory. Participants comprised 3,000 people from Brazil’s 26 states and the Federal District, with an average age of 39.8 years, women (83%), married (50.6%), graduates (70.1%) and employees (46.7%). Some contracted the virus (6.4%) and had dead friends or relatives (22.7%). There was more consumption of drugs, tobacco, medication, and food (40.8%). Almost half of participants expressed symptoms of depression (46.4%), anxiety (39.7%), and stress (42.2%). These were higher in women, people without children, students, patients with chronic diseases, and people who had contact with others diagnosed with COVID-19. The existence of a group more vulnerable to situations with a high stress burden requires greater attention regarding mental health during and after the pandemic. That said, it should be emphasized that these findings are preliminary and portray a moment still being faced by many people amid the pandemic and quarantine measures. Therefore, we understand that the magnitude of the impacts on mental health will only be more specific with continuous studies after total relaxation of the quarantine.

Exploring the Frequency of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in a Brazilian Sample during the COVID-19 Outbreak

“…As predicted, our findings indicated a high frequency of anxiety symptoms and a very high frequency of depression affecting most of the Brazilian sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results are consistent with studies assessing mental health in the Brazilian population [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 31 ]. Congruent with a retrospective cohort study in Brazil [ 31 ], younger people and women exhibit a higher frequency of anxiety and depression, which could be explained by a higher vulnerability in dealing with social distancing measures [ 31 ].…”

“…Moreover, women presented higher prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms, which is also congruent with studies performed in Brazil [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ] and other countries [ 1 , 11 , 13 , 14 ]. We observed that women were more likely to not leave home compared to men, which was already associated with fear, boredom, frustration, and anger [ 41 ]; besides, women seem to be more likely to ruminate on negative thoughts than men, which can prevent the development of healthy, adaptive coping strategies [ 42 ].…”

“…Although older people are the primary mortal victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, our results suggested that the mental health of young people is highly impacted by a scenario that combines low income, lack of autonomy and reduced social interaction [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 31 , 40 ]. Congruently, in this study, we observed higher scores of anxiety and depression symptoms for the younger age group, as well as positive associations through logistic regression.…”

“…Another study performed by Serafim et al [ 28 ], also in Brazil and with 3000 people, showed that 46.4% reported symptoms of depression, while 39.7% reported symptoms of anxiety. These symptoms were higher in women, students, patients with chronic diseases, and people who had contact with others diagnosed with COVID-19, possibly because respondents might adopt maladaptive strategies to cope with the pandemic, such as thought rumination, social withdrawal, and/or substance abuse.…”

Factors associated with mental health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

“…Recent Brazilian online surveys reported a similar increase in significant anxiety symptoms (from 39.7% to 81.9%) and depressive symptoms (from 40.4% to 68.0%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. 26 – 28 About 19.4% to 21.5% of Brazilians reported severe/extreme symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively, during the COVID-19 pandemic. 29 …”