Symptoms of anxiety and depression and self-care behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic can have important psychosocial consequences in the population. Objective: To determine the levels anxiety and depression symptoms and self-care behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in the gener-al population. Method: Online survey distributed over three weeks using a non-probability sampling. The PHQ-9 Patient Health Questionnaire, the GAD-7 Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and a self-care behaviors visual analogue scale were used. Between-group (anxiety and depression) descriptive and comparison analyses were carried out. Results: Out of 1508 includ-ed participants, 20.8 % had symptoms of severe anxiety, while 27.5 % showed symptoms of severe depression. Being a woman, being single, having no children, having medical comorbidities and a history of mental health care were associated with the presence of higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms; 66 to 80 % of the population complied with self-care recommendations. A need for receiving mental health care was identified in our study population. Conclusion: A larger num-ber of individuals with moderate to severe anxiety and depression symptoms were observed than in other pandemics. COVID-19 pandemic psychological effects are considered an emerging public mental health problem, and implementation of programs for their care is therefore recommended.