Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey.
Since the first nationwide movement control order was implemented on 18 March 2020 in Malaysia to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, to what extent the uncertainty and continuous containment measures have imposed psychological burdens on the population is unknown. This study a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248916 |
| _version_ | 1818574306659008512 |
|---|---|
| author | Li Ping Wong Haridah Alias Afiqah Alyaa Md Fuzi Intan Sofia Omar Azmawaty Mohamad Nor Maw Pin Tan Diana Lea Baranovich Che Zarrina Saari Sareena Hanim Hamzah Ku Wing Cheong Chiew Hwa Poon Vimala Ramoo Chong Chin Che Kyaimon Myint Suria Zainuddin Ivy Chung |
| author_facet | Li Ping Wong Haridah Alias Afiqah Alyaa Md Fuzi Intan Sofia Omar Azmawaty Mohamad Nor Maw Pin Tan Diana Lea Baranovich Che Zarrina Saari Sareena Hanim Hamzah Ku Wing Cheong Chiew Hwa Poon Vimala Ramoo Chong Chin Che Kyaimon Myint Suria Zainuddin Ivy Chung |
| author_sort | Li Ping Wong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since the first nationwide movement control order was implemented on 18 March 2020 in Malaysia to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, to what extent the uncertainty and continuous containment measures have imposed psychological burdens on the population is unknown. This study aimed to measure the level of mental health of the Malaysian public approximately 2 months after the pandemic's onset. Between 12 May and 5 September 2020, an anonymous online survey was conducted. The target group included all members of the Malaysian population aged 18 years and above. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health. There were increased depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms throughout the study period, with the depression rates showing the greatest increase. During the end of the data collection period (4 August-5 September 2020), there were high percentages of reported depressive (59.2%) and anxiety (55.1%) symptoms compared with stress (30.6%) symptoms. Perceived health status was the strongest significant predictor for depressive and anxiety symptoms. Individuals with a poorer health perception had higher odds of developing depression (odds ratio [OR] = 5.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.81-8.47) and anxiety (OR = 3.50; 95%CI 2.37-5.17) compared with those with a higher health perception. By demographics, young people-particularly students, females and people with poor financial conditions-were more vulnerable to mental health symptoms. These findings provide an urgent call for increased attention to detect and provide intervention strategies to combat the increasing rate of mental health problems in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:24:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5c5b50e8bbcd49b78c4e6c9fd7686e1e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:24:50Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-5c5b50e8bbcd49b78c4e6c9fd7686e1e2022-12-21T22:42:12ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01163e024891610.1371/journal.pone.0248916Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey.Li Ping WongHaridah AliasAfiqah Alyaa Md FuziIntan Sofia OmarAzmawaty Mohamad NorMaw Pin TanDiana Lea BaranovichChe Zarrina SaariSareena Hanim HamzahKu Wing CheongChiew Hwa PoonVimala RamooChong Chin CheKyaimon MyintSuria ZainuddinIvy ChungSince the first nationwide movement control order was implemented on 18 March 2020 in Malaysia to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, to what extent the uncertainty and continuous containment measures have imposed psychological burdens on the population is unknown. This study aimed to measure the level of mental health of the Malaysian public approximately 2 months after the pandemic's onset. Between 12 May and 5 September 2020, an anonymous online survey was conducted. The target group included all members of the Malaysian population aged 18 years and above. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health. There were increased depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms throughout the study period, with the depression rates showing the greatest increase. During the end of the data collection period (4 August-5 September 2020), there were high percentages of reported depressive (59.2%) and anxiety (55.1%) symptoms compared with stress (30.6%) symptoms. Perceived health status was the strongest significant predictor for depressive and anxiety symptoms. Individuals with a poorer health perception had higher odds of developing depression (odds ratio [OR] = 5.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.81-8.47) and anxiety (OR = 3.50; 95%CI 2.37-5.17) compared with those with a higher health perception. By demographics, young people-particularly students, females and people with poor financial conditions-were more vulnerable to mental health symptoms. These findings provide an urgent call for increased attention to detect and provide intervention strategies to combat the increasing rate of mental health problems in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248916 |
| spellingShingle | Li Ping Wong Haridah Alias Afiqah Alyaa Md Fuzi Intan Sofia Omar Azmawaty Mohamad Nor Maw Pin Tan Diana Lea Baranovich Che Zarrina Saari Sareena Hanim Hamzah Ku Wing Cheong Chiew Hwa Poon Vimala Ramoo Chong Chin Che Kyaimon Myint Suria Zainuddin Ivy Chung Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey. PLoS ONE |
| title | Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey. |
| title_full | Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey. |
| title_fullStr | Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey. |
| title_short | Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey. |
| title_sort | escalating progression of mental health disorders during the covid 19 pandemic evidence from a nationwide survey |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248916 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lipingwong escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT haridahalias escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT afiqahalyaamdfuzi escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT intansofiaomar escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT azmawatymohamadnor escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT mawpintan escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT dianaleabaranovich escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT chezarrinasaari escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT sareenahanimhamzah escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT kuwingcheong escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT chiewhwapoon escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT vimalaramoo escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT chongchinche escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT kyaimonmyint escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT suriazainuddin escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey AT ivychung escalatingprogressionofmentalhealthdisordersduringthecovid19pandemicevidencefromanationwidesurvey |