COVID-19 Pandemic in a Vulnerable Population: Prevalence and Correlates of Anxiety

Shalaby, Reham; Eboreime, Ejemai; Nkire, Nnamdi; Agyapong, Belinda; Pazderka, Hannah; Obuobi-Donkor, Gloria; Adu, Medard Kofi; Mao, Wanying; Owusu, Ernest; Oluwasina, Folajinmi; Agyapong, Vincent Israel Opoku

doi:10.3390/bs12010013

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Previous studies agree with our finding, which suggested that increased social support protects against mental health effects, increases resilience, and improves coping post-natural disasters [ 30 , 31 , 32 ]. Low levels of social support are also associated with post-disaster psychological symptoms and mental health disorders [ 13 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Low levels of social support are also associated with post-disaster psychological symptoms and mental health disorders [ 13 ]. Furthermore, receiving absolute social support is protective against psychological distress following flooding and other natural disasters [ 31 ]. However, community, social, and governmental support play a vital role in resiliency.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating Community Resilience and Associated Factors One Year after the Catastrophic Fort McMurray Flood

Obuobi-Donkor

Eboreime

Shalaby

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Background: Resilience after natural disasters is becoming an increasingly key area of research. In April 2020, parts of Fort McMurray were affected by severe floods. The flooding caused the loss of properties, evacuation of some residents, and effects on their mental health. Objective: This study explores the prevalence and associated factors between flood experience and low resilience a year after the 2020 floods in Fort McMurray. Method: Data collection was accomplished one year after the flood, from 24 April to 2 June 2021, using an online survey. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 25 using univariate analysis with the chi-squared test and binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of low resilience was 37.4%. Respondents under 25 years were nearly 26 times more likely to show low resilience (OR = 0.038; 95% CI 0.004–0.384) than respondents 40 years and above. Responders with a history of depression (OR = 0.258 95% CI: 0.089–0.744) and a history of anxiety (OR = 0.212; CI 95% 0.068–0.661) were nearly four to five times more likely to show low resilience than those without a history. Similarly, respondents willing to receive mental health counselling (OR = 0.134 95% CI: 0.047–0.378) were 7.5 times more likely to show low resilience. Participants residing in the same house before the flood were almost 11 times more likely to show low resilience (OR = 0.095; 95% CI 0.021–0.427) than those who relocated. Participants who received support from the Government of Alberta were less likely to express low resilience than those who received no or limited support (OR = 208.343; 95% CI 3.284–13,218.663). Conclusion: The study showed a low resilience rate among respondents following the 2020 flooding in Fort McMurray. Factors contributing to low resilience include age, history of depression or anxiety, and place of residence after the flood. After the flood, receiving support from the government was shown to be a protective factor. Further studies are needed to explore robust risk factors of low resilience and measures to promote normal to high resilience among flood victims in affected communities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Community Resilience and Associated Factors One Year after the Catastrophic Fort McMurray Flood

Obuobi-Donkor

Eboreime

Shalaby

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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“…At the same time, FMM was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic [26]. The COVID-19 pandemic may profoundly affect an individual's physical and mental health [27,28]. Physical distancing and sanitation measures of COVID-19 also posted further challenges on evacuation, post-disaster regulation and recovery [29].…”

Section: Disaster Events and People In Fort Mcmurraymentioning

confidence: 99%

One Year after the Flood: Prevalence and Correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Residents in Fort McMurray

Mao

Eboreime

Shalaby

et al. 2022

Behavioral Sciences

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Background: The 2020 Fort McMurray (FMM) and area flood caused more than $228 million in insured damage, affected over 1200 structures, and more than 13,000 people were evacuated. Objective: This study sought to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms and the risk predictors among the population of FMM one year after the 2020 flooding. Methods: An online quantitative cross-sectional survey was distributed to residents of FMM via REDCap between 24 April to 2 June 2021 to collect sociodemographic, clinical, and flood-related information. The PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-C) was used to assess likely PTSD among respondents. Results: 186 of 249 respondents completed all essential self-assessment questionnaires in the analysis, yielding a response rate of 74.7%. The prevalence of likely PTSD was 39.6% (65). Respondents with a history of depression were more likely to develop PTSD symptoms (OR = 5.71; 95% CI: 1.68–19.36). Similarly, responders with limited and no family support after the disaster were more prone to report PTSD symptoms ((OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.02–8.05) and (OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.06–7.74), respectively). Conclusion: Our research indicated that history of depression and the need for mental health counseling significantly increased the risk of developing PTSD symptoms following flooding; family support is protective. Further studies are needed to explore the relations between the need to receive counseling and presenting with likely PTSD symptoms.

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“…For analysis purposes, the scores were recategorized into two groups: none to mild anxiety (<10) and moderate to severe anxiety (≥10). The GAD-7 is a valid scale used to screen and assess the severity of anxiety symptoms in both clinical field and research [ 25 , 26 ]. The tool has good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation = 0.83) with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.92) [ 5 , 25 , 27 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

2023 Wildfires in Canada: Living in Wildfire Regions in Alberta and Nova Scotia Doubled the Odds for Residents to Experience Likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Obuobi-Donkor,

Shalaby,

Agyapong

et al. 2024

JCM

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Background: Wildfires have become increasingly prevalent in various regions, resulting in substantial environmental and psychological consequences that have garnered increasing attention. Objective: This study aims to examine the prevalence of likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and explore the determinants of likely GAD during the wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia. Methods: Data were collected online through a cross-sectional survey from 14 May–23 June 2023. Alberta and Nova Scotia participants self-subscribed to the program by texting ‘HopeAB’ or ‘HopeNS’ to a short code, respectively. The GAD-7–validated tool was used to collect information on likely GAD. Results: This study included 298 respondents while one hundred and twelve respondents lived in a region of Alberta/Nova Scotia affected by the wildfires (37.7%). The prevalence of likely GAD among the respondents was 41.9%. Respondents who lived in a region of Alberta/Nova Scotia recently impacted by the wildfires were twice as likely to experience GAD symptoms (OR = 2.4; 95% C.I. 1.3–4.3). Conclusions: The study’s identification of a statistically significant relationship between residing in a wildfire-impacted region and likely GAD shows the association between environmental and psychological well-being. However, the relatively small sample size and self-reported assessment of GAD symptoms may limit the generalizability of the findings. Further research involving a larger sample size delving into potential predictors could facilitate strategies for mitigating the mental health consequences of natural disasters.

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COVID-19 Pandemic in a Vulnerable Population: Prevalence and Correlates of Anxiety

Cited by 10 publications

References 33 publications

Evaluating Community Resilience and Associated Factors One Year after the Catastrophic Fort McMurray Flood

Evaluating Community Resilience and Associated Factors One Year after the Catastrophic Fort McMurray Flood

One Year after the Flood: Prevalence and Correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Residents in Fort McMurray

2023 Wildfires in Canada: Living in Wildfire Regions in Alberta and Nova Scotia Doubled the Odds for Residents to Experience Likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

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