How mental health care is changing in Cameroon because of the COVID-19 pandemic

Mviena, Justine Laure Menguene; Fanne, Mahamat; Gondo, Rumbidzai; Mwamelo, Ambele Judith; Esso, Linda; Epée, Emilienne; Mballa, Georges Alain Etoundi; Boum, Yap

doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30390-4

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Study participants also were stressed about and anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would impact their health. This result falls into the theoretical framework of the correlation between self-reported stress and its negative effect on health status 41,42,43 and is congruent with the recent opinions and findings by Moreno et al, 44 and Mviena 45 . Respondents connected their health issues with various COVID-19 related problems, among them inability to access medical services due to mandated restrictions on the majority of medical procedures, transitions to an online working environment, and social isolation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Effect of the COVID-19 on Perceptions of Health, Anticipated Need for Health Services, and Cost of Health Care

Rekhter

Ermasova

2021

Disaster med. public health prep.

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Objective: This article investigates how perceived vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic at its early stages is associated with people’s perception of their health, the need for healthcare services, and expenses related to addressing the COVID-19 impact on their health. Methods: The results are based on the analysis of surveys that were distributed among members of 26 random Facebook groups in April-May, 2020. Perceived COVID-19 pandemic related stress and health concerns were examined by using the ANOVA test. Results: Among 315 respondents, 64% have experienced COVID-19 related stress and identified anxiety, headache, insomnia, and weight gain as their primary health concerns. The ANOVA test revealed that females are more impacted by the COVID-19 stress than males. Around 40% of respondents believed that the COVID-19 would lead to an increase in the cost of health services, and 20% of respondents anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would increase their need for health services. Conclusions: Learning about how people perceive the COVID-19 pandemic impact on their health, particularly in the pandemic’s early stages can allow health professionals to develop targeted interventions that can influence pandemic preventative behaviors among different population groups. This study can help understand utilization patterns and mitigate financial barriers that could interfere with patients’ care-seeking behavior.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Effect of the COVID-19 on Perceptions of Health, Anticipated Need for Health Services, and Cost of Health Care

Rekhter

Ermasova

2021

Disaster med. public health prep.

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“…By contrast, countries with low case fatality ratios could instead invest in community engagement, health system strengthening, surveillance, and case reporting to adequately handle high case counts during this wave and beyond. Mental health issues have become an increasing concern during the pandemic, with a high prevalence of anxiety and depression, 13 , 14 while extant infectious diseases such as measles and cholera have gained a stronger foothold, evidenced by increasing case counts and inadequate vaccination. 15 , 16 During the pandemic, prevention and treatment services for tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria have been disrupted and concerted investments and efforts are needed to strengthen endemic disease programmes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Africa needs local solutions to face the COVID-19 pandemic

Boum¹,

Bebell

Bisseck³

2021

The Lancet

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“…The necessary preventive measures prescribed by the Cameroonian government [10] have disrupted daily routines and adversely impacted the nation's socio-economic landscape given that a large proportion of the population relies on the informal sector for its livelihood. Although the mental or brain health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are evident in Cameroon [11], the magnitude of the problem is still poorly understood as no nation-wide study has yet been done. We therefore conducted this study to assess the level of fear and the frequency of depressive disorders in the Cameroonian population amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fear and Depression during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Cameroon: A Nation-wide Observational Study

Fodjo

Ngarka

Njamnshi

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with significant psychological and social distress worldwide. We investigated fear and depression among adults in Cameroon during different phases of the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods: An online survey was conducted in Cameroon from June–December 2020 using a structured questionnaire. Socio-demographic data and information regarding COVID-19 history were obtained. Fear and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 score (FCV-19S) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Responses were clustered in weeks to better appreciate their evolution over time.Results: Overall, 7381 responses from all ten regions of Cameroon were analysed (median age: 30 years, 73.3% male). The prevalence of depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10) was 8.4%, and that of high fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S scores ≥19) was 57.4%. These rates were similar across genders, age-groups, and region of residence. While mean weekly PHQ-9 scores remained fairly stable throughout the study period (range: 2.53 – 3.21; p=0.101), mean FCV-19S scores were highest during the early weeks but decreased significantly thereafter (from 20.31 to 18.34; p <0.001). Multivariate analyses revealed that having a postgraduate degree, a history of quarantine, flu-like symptoms during the past 14 days, and higher FCV-19S scores were associated with more severe depressive symptoms, while obtaining COVID-19 information from various sources reduced the odds for depression. Conclusion: Depression amidst the COVID-19 crisis is less prevalent in Cameroon than in other countries. Prompt and widespread dissemination of adequate COVID-19 information may reduce the risks for depression by dispelling fear and anxiety among Cameroonians.

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How mental health care is changing in Cameroon because of the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 11 publications

References 3 publications

Effect of the COVID-19 on Perceptions of Health, Anticipated Need for Health Services, and Cost of Health Care

Effect of the COVID-19 on Perceptions of Health, Anticipated Need for Health Services, and Cost of Health Care

Africa needs local solutions to face the COVID-19 pandemic

Fear and Depression during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Cameroon: A Nation-wide Observational Study

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