Psycho-Emotional Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms during Lockdown Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Mexican Population

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, leading to the increase of depressive symptoms. Identifying these symptoms and the factors associated with them in women and men will allow us to understand possible mechanisms of action and develop more specific interventions. An online survey was conducted from 1 May to 30 June 2020 using snowball sampling; the final sample comprised 4122 adult inhabitants of Mexico; 35% of the total sample displayed moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, with a greater proportion of depression being among female respondents. A logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals under 30 years of age, those with high levels of stress due to social distancing, those with negative emotions, and those who reported a significant impact of the pandemic on their lives have a higher risk of depression. Women with a history of mental health treatment and men with a history of chronic disease were also more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Social environment and sex are factors that intervene in the development of depressive symptoms, meaning that appropriate early identification and intervention models should be designed for the care of men and women in highly disruptive situations such as the recent pandemic.

The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Social Connectedness and Psychological Distress in U.S. Adults with Chronic Diseases

“…During the early stages of the pandemic, there was limited investigation into the incipient and unfolding mental health impacts of COVID-19 lockdown policies, particularly on individuals with chronic diseases [ 23 ]; however, research on the effects of quarantine during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak found that these individuals had elevated clinical anxiety and depression levels [ 24 ] and increased odds for clinically significant anxiety 4–6 months post quarantine [ 25 ]. Since that first year of the pandemic response, multiple studies have shown that individuals with chronic diseases may be an especially vulnerable population for mental health sequelae [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. However, more research on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health is needed [ 26 ].…”