Psychological distress related to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic and coping strategies among general population in Egypt

Abstract

Background Psychological distress is considered a threat to the mental health of human beings. This research was conducted at the beginning of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, when most people had limited knowledge about coronavirus, mode of transmission, associated manifestations, with uncertainty about treatment, vaccine, future life, and coping capacity. This study examined the nature of the psychological distress related to the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and coping strategies adopted among the general population in Egypt. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study assessing a convenience sample consisting of 312 participants from the general population in Egypt. Data were gathered as online responses to a questionnaire which incorporated a sociodemographic datasheet, psychological distress scale, and ways of coping scale. Results Forty-two percent of the participants showed severe psychological distress and 26% showed mild to moderate psychological distress. There was a strong positive correlation between the distress score and the overall coping score—that is, the higher the distress, the more ways of coping were adopted (p < 0.001). This study also showed that the methods of adaptation used by most of the population were based on emotional coping strategy. The most adaptive people were those who work in the health field and the residents in the cities with a monthly income sufficient enough to meet their needs; better adaptation methods were also seen among both divorced and highly educated people. We also found a significant relationship between sociodemographic characteristics except for sex and overall coping methods (p < 0.001). Further, significant relationships between sociodemographic characteristics and psychological distress were observed (p < 0.001). Conclusion Most of the study population as a sample of the general population in Egypt reported suffering from varying degrees of psychological distress during the COVID-19 crisis. However, the more severe an individual’s level of psychological distress, the greater their adaptation ability was. This study focuses light on the importance to provide appropriate interventions against COVID-19-related stresses and equipping people with suitable strategies for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Age and sex differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and coping mechanisms in Latin American youth

“…However, it was women who were affected by the perceived stressors with greater intensity and frequency, no matter their age group. Studies in adults showed that women scored higher on a range of coping styles compared to men ( Fluharty and Fancourt, 2021 ) and a positive correlation between distress and the use of coping mechanisms ( Elkayal et al, 2022 ). The prevalence of depression and anxiety has been reported to be higher among females, yet the pandemic has accentuated this difference ( Santomauro et al, 2021 ).…”

Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic: An examination of adaptive coping strategies

“…People have chosen various strategies for coping with the difficulties of lockdown (e.g. Elkayal et al, 2022;Fluharty and Fancourt, 2021;Sampogna et al, 2021). For instance, a study conducted in Spain has found that focusing on certain tasks, such as "not listening to the news" or "drinking alcohol and watching TV" to avoid thinking about the situation, was the most popular mechanism (65%), while turning to social networks was a distant second (17%).…”

Stress and Coping Strategies of Health Care Workers During Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Being a nurse or technician, living in rural areas, working in governmental, university/central, not working in private health facility protect against low adaptation (Table 2, 3). Elkayal et al (33) in their study among general population in Egypt found the most adaptive people were the residents in the cities with a monthly income sufficient enough to meet their needs; better adaptation methods were also seen among both divorced and highly educated people. The differences may be due to alternative target populations.…”