The Relationship of Individuals’ Depression and Anxiety Levels with Sociodemographic Characteristics and Worries and Attitudes Towards Outbreak During the COVID-19 Outbreak
1Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Trabzon, Turkey
2Vakfıkebir State Hospital, Clinic of Psychiatry, Trabzon, Turkey
3Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Trabzon, Turkey
Eur Arch Med Res 2024; 40(2): 73-80 DOI: 10.4274/eamr.galenos.2024.37167
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Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between depression, anxiety, and stress levels in individuals and sociodemographic characteristics and worries and attitudes towards the pandemic during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey. Participants were evaluated using a sociodemographic data form, the COVID-19 worry and attitude questionnaire, the depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21), and the impact of event scale-revised (IES-R).
Results: A total of 633 respondents were included in the study. In total, 23.2% (n=122) of respondents rated the psychological impact of the outbreak as moderate or severe (IES-R >33). Moderate, severe, and very severe depression, anxiety, and stress levels were determined in 29.7% (n=188), 19% (n=122), and 13.4% (n=85) of respondents, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that gender, accompanying chronic disease, employment status, COVID-19 contact history, poor self-rated health status, and worries related to the pandemic were factors significantly associated with the DASS-21 and IES-R scores.
Conclusion: The mental health of individuals was negatively affected by worries about socioeconomic and pandemic-related uncertainties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social and health policies should be planned to reduce individual concerns during the pandemic.