Psychological distress in the face of a pandemic: An observational study characterizing the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant outpatient mental health

Serafini, Randal A.; Powell, Samuel K.; Frere, Justin; Saali, Alexandra; Krystal, Hannah; Kumar, Vishesh; Yashaswini, Chittampalli; Hernandez, Josimar; Moody, Kate; Aronson, Anne; Meah, Yasmin; Katz, Craig L.

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113595

Cited by 69 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…The total score for depression/ anxiety was categorized as none (total score: 0-2), mild (total score: 3-5), moderate (total score: 6-8), and severe (total score: 9-12). 29,41,42…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and Practice Related to COVID-19 and Mental Health among Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa

Workneh

Wang

Millogo

et al. 2021

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency affecting the lives of millions of people globally. Different measures and extraordinary steps are being taken to contain the transmission of the virus. The levels of knowledge and implementation of preventive practices related to COVID-19 in sub-Saharan African countries are unclear. Additionally, there is a lack of evidence regarding the impacts of the pandemic on mental health. This study aimed to describe knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 and to assess mental health status among adults in three sub-Saharan African countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. A total of 1,797 adults were included in the survey, and data were collected using computer-assisted telephone interviews. The proportions of adults who identified more than 80% of COVID-19 symptoms, transmission methods, and prevention mechanisms were 69.9%, 79.2%, and 90.7%, respectively. The practice of preventive measures was relatively lower for avoiding social gatherings and disinfecting contaminated surfaces. Better education, urban residence, and believing the pandemic is real were factors associated with good knowledge on COVID-19 symptoms, transmission methods, and preventive actions. Additionally, being male was associated with good knowledge on symptoms and transmission methods, whereas being in an older age group was associated with knowledge of transmission methods. Mild, moderate, and severe psychological distress was reported by 20.6%, 5.9%, and 1.1% of the participants, respectively. Although this study found high levels of knowledge regarding COVID-19, interventions are needed to increase the uptake of recommended preventive practices among adults in sub-Saharan Africa.

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“…The total score for depression/ anxiety was categorized as none (total score: 0-2), mild (total score: 3-5), moderate (total score: 6-8), and severe (total score: 9-12). 29,41,42…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and Practice Related to COVID-19 and Mental Health among Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa

Workneh

Wang

Millogo

et al. 2021

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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“…The impact of this disabling pandemic on minorities and immigrants (e.g., Rothman et al, 2020;Serafini et al, 2021) and on general practitioners working in the frontline with infected Covid-19 patients is well documented (Amerio et al, 2020). Importantly, there is an urgent need to provide adequate mental health care for the victims of COVID-19 severe and continuous stressors at the community-level.…”

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confidence: 99%

The effects of COVID-19 continuous traumatic stressors on mental health and cognitive functioning: A case example from Turkey

et al. 2021

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There is a need to accurately assess the specific impacts of the various traumatic stressors caused by COVID-19 on mental health. The goal was to evaluate the impact of different types of COVID-19 stressors (infection fears, lockdown, and economic stressors) on mental health and cognitive functioning. We used a sample of 262 Turkish adults. We administered an online questionnaire that included measures of COVID-19 traumatic stressors, PTSD, depression, anxiety, executive function deficits, and cumulative stressors and traumas (CST). The analyses included correlations, hierarchical regression, path analysis, and PROCESS mediation analysis. All COVID-19 traumatic stressors types and their cumulative load predicted PTSD, depression, anxiety, and executive function deficits after controlling for previous cumulative stressors and traumas and COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 lockdown’s stressors were the strongest predictors, compared to COVID-19 fears and economic stressors. Path analysis and PROCESS mediation results indicated that COVID-19 traumatic stressors had direct effects on working memory deficits, direct and indirect effects on PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and indirect effects on inhibition deficits. Anxiety, depression, and inhibition deficits mediated its indirect effects on PTSD. The results have conceptual and clinical implications. COVID-19 continuous posttraumatic stress syndrome that includes comorbid PTSD, depression, anxiety, and executive function deficits is different and does not fit within the current trauma frameworks. There is a need for a paradigm shift in current stress and trauma frameworks to account for the COVID-19 continuous global stressors and for clinical innovations in intervention to help its victims. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01743-2.

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“…Not surprisingly, these behavioral trends are themselves generally born of the disease outbreak itself, since the arrival of the pandemic itself was stressful enough, with the measures to contain it globally being implemented at the expense of even higher socioeconomic cost and the wellbeing of, particularly, the frontline health workers. 5,14,[51][52][53][54][55] Other factors, including habitat or environmental conditions such as the disease outbreak location, for example, may also play a role in the manifestation of sleep or psychological disorders under these conditions. Indeed, consistent with other findings elsewhere, our study seems to suggest that the place of habitation may also matter.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Quarantine on Sleep Quality and Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Al‐Rasheed¹,

Alkadir²,

Shuqiran³

et al. 2021

NSS

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Purpose: We investigated the impact of isolation on sleep quality and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Methods: An online survey was conducted on 353 (88 isolated and 265 not isolated) individuals from May to June 2020. Subjective sleep quality was determined using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and psychological distress measured using the Kessler psychological distress scale (K10). Results: The mean age of the isolated group was 28.6 years versus 27.5 years for the nonisolated group, with male participants accounting for 37% in both groups. The mean PSQI score was 8.5±3.6 and 8.4±3.5 for the isolated and non-isolated groups, respectively (P= 0.92). The mean K-10 score was 27.6± 9.4 and 25.3± 9.5 for the isolated and non-isolated groups, respectively (P= 0.04). Poor sleep (PSQI ≥6) was reported in 235 (66.6%) and psychological distress (K-10 ≥20) in 244 (69.1%) participants. Isolation was not associated with poor sleep (OR: 0.73 (95% CI: 0.41-1.3), P=0.29), but was statistically significant with psychological distress (OR: 2.12 (95% CI: 1.10-4.08), P=0.03). Conclusion:Poor sleep and psychological distress symptoms were highly prevalent in our study population. Isolation may influence psychological distress but not sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Psychological distress in the face of a pandemic: An observational study characterizing the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant outpatient mental health

Cited by 69 publications

References 54 publications

Knowledge and Practice Related to COVID-19 and Mental Health among Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa

Knowledge and Practice Related to COVID-19 and Mental Health among Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa

The effects of COVID-19 continuous traumatic stressors on mental health and cognitive functioning: A case example from Turkey

The Impact of Quarantine on Sleep Quality and Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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