Increased generalized anxiety, depression and distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Germany

Abstract

Background Since the first cases of the novel coronavirus disease SARS-CoV-2 were reported in December 2019 in China, the virus has spread in most countries. The aim of the present study was to assess initial data on the mental health burden of the German public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Germany and collected complete datasets from 15 704 German residents aged 18 years and over. Besides demographics, generalized anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-2) and psychological distress (DT) were assessed. Furthermore, COVID-19-related fear, trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19 and the subjective level of information regarding COVID-19 were covered. Results Significantly increased symptoms were highly prevalent in all dimensions: generalized anxiety (44.9%), depression (14.3%), psychological distress (65.2%) and COVID-19-related fear (59%). Females and younger people reported higher mental burden. Trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19 and the subjective level of information regarding COVID-19 are negatively associated with mental health burden. However, the subjective level of information regarding COVID-19 is positively associated with increased COVID-19-related fear. Conclusions The provision of appropriate psychological interventions for those in need and the provision of transparency and comprehensible information are crucial during the current pandemic.

Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on Asian scholarly journal editors’ daily life, work, and opinions on future journal development

“…Three quarters thought that online-only journal publishing would expand after the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretation: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that a sizable proportion of editors or publishing staff experienced anxiety, as reports have also shown for the general population [4]. They also reported spending more time on the internet, which may be inevitable due to social distancing and the change in the workplace from institutional offices to home.…”

“…Comparison with previous studies: Life changes and psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemics among the general population were analyzed in Germany. Out of 15,704 German adults, 44.9% showed generalized anxiety regarding COVID-19 [4]. In Taiwan, an online questionnaire commenced on February 14, 2020.…”

Ängste in Zeiten von COVID-19 und anderen Gesundheitskrisen

“…In zwei Studien in Deutschland mit etwa 6500 [22] bzw. 15.700 Personen [1] der Allgemeinbevölkerung berichtete in der frühen Phase der Pandemie mehr als die Hälfte der Teilnehmenden unter Ängsten und psychischem Stress aufgrund der Pandemie zu leiden. COVID-19-spezifische Ängste (bei 59 %) waren noch häufiger vertreten als erhöhte generalisierte Ängste (45 %; [1]).…”

“…15.700 Personen [1] der Allgemeinbevölkerung berichtete in der frühen Phase der Pandemie mehr als die Hälfte der Teilnehmenden unter Ängsten und psychischem Stress aufgrund der Pandemie zu leiden. COVID-19-spezifische Ängste (bei 59 %) waren noch häufiger vertreten als erhöhte generalisierte Ängste (45 %; [1]). Etwa 14 % zeigten zudem deutliche depressive Symptome und 65 % berichteten erhöhten psychischen Stress.…”

“…Geschlecht. Frauen zeigten im Durchschnitt relativ einheitlich eine höhere Angstausprägung als Männer -sowohl in der COVID-19-Pandemie [1,3,20,22,25] als auch z.B. bei vorherigen SARS-Ausbrüchen [18].…”