Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Southeast Asia and the associated demographic factors
Mental health has become a growing concern in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to determine the prevalence of mental health symptoms 18 months after the pandemic's declaration. Our cross-sectional study conducted among 18- to 65-year-old adults (N = 33,454) in October 2021 using the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.863323/full |
| _version_ | 1828188758331097088 |
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| author | Wendy Wan Ying Tay Jehanita Jesuthasan Kim Sui Wan Tiffanie Ong Feisul Mustapha |
| author_facet | Wendy Wan Ying Tay Jehanita Jesuthasan Kim Sui Wan Tiffanie Ong Feisul Mustapha |
| author_sort | Wendy Wan Ying Tay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mental health has become a growing concern in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to determine the prevalence of mental health symptoms 18 months after the pandemic's declaration. Our cross-sectional study conducted among 18- to 65-year-old adults (N = 33,454) in October 2021 using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) found a high prevalence of severe to extremely severe anxiety (49%), depression (47%) and stress (36%) symptoms in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. Multiple logistic regression showed that female and non-binary genders were associated with increased odds of severe/extremely severe symptoms of anxiety (female: aOR 1.44 [95% CI 1.37–1.52]; non-binary aOR 1.46 [1.16–1.84]), depression (female: aOR 1.39 [1.32–1.47]; non-binary aOR 1.42 [1.13–1.79]), and stress (female: aOR 1.48 [CI 1.40–1.57]; non-binary aOR 1.42 [1.12–1.78]). In all three symptom domains, the odds of severe/extremely severe symptoms decreased across age groups. Middle- and high-income respondents had lower odds of reporting severe/extremely severe anxiety (middle-income: aOR 0.79 [0.75–0.84]; high-income aOR 0.77 [0.69–0.86]) and depression (middle-income: aOR 0.85 [0.80–0.90]; high-income aOR 0.84 [0.76–0.94]) symptoms compared to low-income respondents, while only middle-income respondents had lower odds of experiencing severe/extremely severe stress symptoms (aOR 0.89 [0.84–0.95]). Compared to residents of Malaysia, residents of Indonesia were more likely to experience severe/extremely severe anxiety symptoms (aOR 1.08 [1.03–1.15]) but less likely to experience depression (aOR 0.69 [0.65–0.73]) or stress symptoms (aOR 0.92 [0.87–0.97]). Respondents living in Singapore had increased odds of reporting severe/extremely severe depression symptoms (aOR 1.33 [1.16–1.52]), while respondents residing in Thailand were more likely to experience severe/extremely severe stress symptoms (aOR 1.46 [1.37–1.55]). This study provides insights into the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the point prevalence of psychological distress in Southeast Asia one and a half years after the beginning of the pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:55:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-51118acf6b5e4ba7a450efbc2abd25e2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:55:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-51118acf6b5e4ba7a450efbc2abd25e22022-12-22T03:41:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-08-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.863323863323Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Southeast Asia and the associated demographic factorsWendy Wan Ying Tay0Jehanita Jesuthasan1Kim Sui Wan2Tiffanie Ong3Feisul Mustapha4Naluri Hidup Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaNaluri Hidup Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaMinistry of Health, Putrajaya, MalaysiaNaluri Hidup Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaMinistry of Health, Putrajaya, MalaysiaMental health has become a growing concern in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to determine the prevalence of mental health symptoms 18 months after the pandemic's declaration. Our cross-sectional study conducted among 18- to 65-year-old adults (N = 33,454) in October 2021 using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) found a high prevalence of severe to extremely severe anxiety (49%), depression (47%) and stress (36%) symptoms in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. Multiple logistic regression showed that female and non-binary genders were associated with increased odds of severe/extremely severe symptoms of anxiety (female: aOR 1.44 [95% CI 1.37–1.52]; non-binary aOR 1.46 [1.16–1.84]), depression (female: aOR 1.39 [1.32–1.47]; non-binary aOR 1.42 [1.13–1.79]), and stress (female: aOR 1.48 [CI 1.40–1.57]; non-binary aOR 1.42 [1.12–1.78]). In all three symptom domains, the odds of severe/extremely severe symptoms decreased across age groups. Middle- and high-income respondents had lower odds of reporting severe/extremely severe anxiety (middle-income: aOR 0.79 [0.75–0.84]; high-income aOR 0.77 [0.69–0.86]) and depression (middle-income: aOR 0.85 [0.80–0.90]; high-income aOR 0.84 [0.76–0.94]) symptoms compared to low-income respondents, while only middle-income respondents had lower odds of experiencing severe/extremely severe stress symptoms (aOR 0.89 [0.84–0.95]). Compared to residents of Malaysia, residents of Indonesia were more likely to experience severe/extremely severe anxiety symptoms (aOR 1.08 [1.03–1.15]) but less likely to experience depression (aOR 0.69 [0.65–0.73]) or stress symptoms (aOR 0.92 [0.87–0.97]). Respondents living in Singapore had increased odds of reporting severe/extremely severe depression symptoms (aOR 1.33 [1.16–1.52]), while respondents residing in Thailand were more likely to experience severe/extremely severe stress symptoms (aOR 1.46 [1.37–1.55]). This study provides insights into the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the point prevalence of psychological distress in Southeast Asia one and a half years after the beginning of the pandemic.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.863323/fullmental healthCOVID-19anxietydepressionstress |
| spellingShingle | Wendy Wan Ying Tay Jehanita Jesuthasan Kim Sui Wan Tiffanie Ong Feisul Mustapha Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Southeast Asia and the associated demographic factors Frontiers in Public Health mental health COVID-19 anxiety depression stress |
| title | Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Southeast Asia and the associated demographic factors |
| title_full | Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Southeast Asia and the associated demographic factors |
| title_fullStr | Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Southeast Asia and the associated demographic factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Southeast Asia and the associated demographic factors |
| title_short | Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Southeast Asia and the associated demographic factors |
| title_sort | eighteen months into the covid 19 pandemic the prevalence of depression anxiety and stress symptoms in southeast asia and the associated demographic factors |
| topic | mental health COVID-19 anxiety depression stress |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.863323/full |
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