Uncovering psychobehavioural implications of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in Iran

Abstract

Iran is the country in Western Asia most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. A survey was conducted among the general public in Iran aimed at investigating psychobehavioural issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak, namely (a) barriers to preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection; (b) negative emotions towards SARS-CoV-2 infection; and (c) anxiety levels among the general public in Iran. A cross-sectional, web-based survey using an online questionnaire was carried out between 16 March and 1 April 2020. The six-item version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) was used to assess anxiety levels. A total of 1,789 complete responses were received. Nearly 60% reported having difficulty in wearing a face mask to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the total prevention barrier score was 35.8 (SD ± 7.1; range 18-68) out of a possible score of 72. Male respondents [odds ratio (OR) = 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.51] and respondents who perceived their health status as poor/fair (OR = 1.49; 95% CI 1.31-1.82) were predictors of high prevention barriers. Negative emotions such as fear (74.6%) followed by depression (43.4%) and stigma (23.0%) associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported. Respondents who perceived their health as poor/fair (OR = 2.19; 95% CI 1.57-3.04) reported a higher likelihood of having higher negative emotions. Findings on anxiety level revealed 68.0% (95% CI 65.8-70.1

Behavioural responses and anxiety symptoms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan: A large scale cross-sectional study

“…On the 13 th May, 2020, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan had reached over 15 thousand, including cruise-ship related cases, with over 600 fatalities ( WHO, 2020b ), which could be a reason for the high level of anxiety among the study participants. The proportion of moderate to severe levels of anxiety using the STAI - 6 questionnaire among the Japanese sample in this study is higher than that reported in Iran (68.0%) during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Wong et al, 2020c ). Comparatively, Iran was more severely impacted with its total confirmed cases, amounting to over one hundred thousand, with over 6,000 deaths as of 13 th May, 2020 ( WHO, 2020c ).…”

“…The survey consisted of questions that assessed 1) demographic background, perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, and COVID-19 experience/knowing someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19; 2) preventive measures against COVID-19; 3) social anxiety related to COVID-19; and 4) the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6). The questionnaire was adopted and modified from previous studies ( Wong et al, 2020a ; Wong and Alias, 2020b ; Wong et al, 2020c ).…”

Factors associated with psychological distress during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the predominantly general population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The detailed characteristics of the included publications are shown in Table 1. Among the included studies, 41 were from the WHO Western Pacific Region (39 from mainland China [8, 9, 12-14, 18-22, 26, 47, 49-53, 57, 58, 60, 63, 65, 73, 74, 77-82, 86, 87, 89, 90, 92-94, 96, 97], one from Japan [66], and one from Vietnam [70]), 16 were from the European Region (six from Italy [11,48,55,62,68,84], two from UK [16,75], two from Spain [83,91], two from Turkey [17,88], one from Slovenia [85], one from Albania [61], one from France [59], and one from Ireland [72]), four were from the Region of the Americas (three from US [15,56,69], and one from Colombia [71]), four were from the Eastern Mediterranean Region (one from Iran [98], one from Israel [64], one from Saudi Arabia [99], and one from Jordan [67]), two were from the South-East Asia Region (India [54,95]), and one was from the African Region (Tunisia [76]). Before May 2020, majority of the studies were from the Western Pacific Region (e.g.…”

Máscaras de tecido em locais públicos: intervenção essencial na prevenção da COVID-19 no Brasil

“…It is important to highlight that all the papers that were against the use of masks were opinion pieces, commentaries, letters or editorials. Among those that were in favor of the widespread use of cloth masks were transversal studies (n=28) 18,27,33,42,46,49,50,[53][54][55]57,59,61,63,64,68,73,75,78,80,82,84,85,87,88,92,93,96 and the literature reviews (n=10) 10,28,39,45,60,65,76,86,89,90,95 , among 35 and 15 existing studies for these categories respectively (Chart 1). The first publications about the theme were divided among those discussing the potential implications of widespread use of masks on mask supply and on the recommendation for use of masks as an additional protective measure to prevent pandemic spread.…”