Anxiety in the pandemic: a study about the impacts on mental health during the COVID-19 contagion in Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the symptoms of anxiety resulting from social distancing and its impacts on the Brazilian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study consisted of a cross-sectional survey, with data constructed through an online questionnaire that included sociodemographic information and information about anxiety symptoms. The questions were constructed considering the concept of “mental health waves”, as being the mental health demands presented at the respective moment of the pandemic. The sample consisted of 632 participants, and the prevalence of anxiety identified was 81%, with no statistically significant differences between genders. The main factors related to anxiety were loneliness (OR=2.18, 95% CI=1.16-4.09), sleeping difficulties (OR=2.59, 95% CI=1.57-4.28), irritability (OR= 1.85, 95% CI=1.11-3.09), financial difficulties (OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.01-3.40), and problems related to emotional isolation (OR=2.43, 95% CI=1.47-4.01). In the context of the challenges for mental health, the results obtained contribute to deeper understanding of the changes related to anxiety that emerged with the advent of social distancing policies and the context of the pandemic.