Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Argentinian Population: Vaccination Is Associated With a Decrease in Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

BackgroundSince the irruption of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) the planet has submerged in a time of concern and uncertainty, with a direct impact on people's mental health. Moreover, the recurrent outbreaks that periodically harry different regions of the world constantly refocus people's concerns to the pandemic. Yet, each new wave heats the diverse countries in different situations, including the advances in their vaccination campaigns. In this research, we studied the levels of the general anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression in the Argentine population across the first and second waves of infections that occurred in our country.MethodsWe conducted an on-line survey, within each peak of the pandemic. People were asked to self-report GAD and depression symptoms using the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 questioners, inform their vaccination status, the frequency they performed physical activity as well as working condition and modality. Here, we identified the more vulnerable groups and evaluated factors that could mitigate the rise of these mental disorders, focusing on vaccination.ResultsOur data shows that reported GAD and depression levels were higher during the second wave than during the first one. More importantly, vaccinated people were less depressed than non-vaccinated people, while GAD levels remained equivalent in both groups. Other factors directly associated with lower GAD and depression levels were performing frequent physical activity and being employed, regardless of the employment modality. These observations were replicated in different age ranges and genders.ConclusionThis work evidences GAD and depression in different pandemic waves in Argentina, as well the factors that may contribute to reducing the magnitude of these disorders, including vaccination.

The Impact of the Successive Outbreaks of COVID-19, Vaccination, and Physical Activity on Mental Health in the Argentine Population: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, the symptoms of GAD and depression in our country correlated inversely with the accumulation of vaccine doses applied. These data are in agreement with our previous observations, showing that vaccination is associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Argentine population [ 13 ]. Also, compared with unvaccinated populations, vaccinated populations had a significantly lower prevalence rate of depression and anxiety in a cross-sectional study performed in Bangladesh during the second semester of 2021 [ 26 ].…”

“…We have reported that in May 2021, the prevalence of GAD and depression reached values ​​of 57.25% and 54.39%, respectively, considering a population restricted to the metropolitan area of ​​Buenos Aires [ 13 ]. Here, ​​we found similar values to those ones, even considering a population spread throughout the entire country.…”

“…The GAD-7 [ 18 , 19 ] was used to measure generalized anxiety as previously described [ 13 ]. This mental health instrument gathers information about generalized anxiety symptoms of the two weeks previous to the questionnaire.…”

“…In parallel, we studied whether the levels of these parameters showed any relation to the practice of physical activity and whether it had a differential impact throughout the pandemic. Various studies have been carried out relating the frequency and intensity of physical activity with respect to its effectiveness in terms of mental health [10][11][12][13]. Here, our objective was to determine the distribution of the adult population that exercised with low or high weekly frequency and compare the self-reported scores of GAD and depression in these two groups of people to analyze whether physical activity could be associated with a protective function on mental health, even in the context of the chronic impact of this pandemic.…”

Effects of vaccination against COVID-19 on the emotional health of older adults

“…On the other hand, although we observed a slight decrease in general anxiety, the effect of vaccination on general depression and anxiety outcomes, measured with PHQ-2 and GAD-2, respectively, was not significant. However, previous studies conducted in adults from the United States, 24 Turkey, 57 Argentina, 58 and China, 59 and health professionals from Turkey 27 reported that those with at least one dose of the vaccine against COVID-19 have lower scores on the depression scales, measured with the PHQ-4, PHQ-9, and the Beck Depression Inventory, and on anxiety scales, measured with the GAD-7 and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The mechanisms and causes of depression and anxiety in older adults are related to psychosocial factors of loneliness and loss, and neuroendocrine and vascular disorders.…”