Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population
BackgroundThe prolonged stress experience caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and two earthquakes led to increased alcohol and psychoactive substance use (PSU) accompanied by a decrease in mental wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) in the Croatian population. Our aim was to determine the relationship be...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1295977/full |
| _version_ | 1797291904203751424 |
|---|---|
| author | Zrnka Kovačić Petrović Zrnka Kovačić Petrović Tina Peraica Tina Peraica Mirta Blažev Dragica Kozarić-Kovačić |
| author_facet | Zrnka Kovačić Petrović Zrnka Kovačić Petrović Tina Peraica Tina Peraica Mirta Blažev Dragica Kozarić-Kovačić |
| author_sort | Zrnka Kovačić Petrović |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThe prolonged stress experience caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and two earthquakes led to increased alcohol and psychoactive substance use (PSU) accompanied by a decrease in mental wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) in the Croatian population. Our aim was to determine the relationship between alcohol and PSU and mental health outcomes including anxiety and depression, and QoL.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey conducted from September 30 to October 27, 2021, included 1,118 Croatian adults (220 men and 898 women; mean age, 35.1 ± 12.3 years) recruited through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The survey consisted of a self-reported questionnaire on PSU, the CAGE Alcohol Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL)—BREF. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the association between PSU, problematic alcohol use (PAU), mental health outcomes, and QoL.ResultsThe model demonstrated a good fit and indicated that PSU increase, PAU, and anxiety and depression symptoms significantly explained all QoL domains (p < 0.001 for all). Both PSU increase and PAU during prolonged stress were directly associated with decreased QoL. These relationships were also indirectly mediated through increased anxiety and depression symptoms.ConclusionThese results showed the need to direct public health interventions and treatment interventions during and after long-term stress (pandemics and earthquakes) to reduce the negative impact on substance use and QoL by reducing depression and anxiety, which ultimately may contribute to better wellbeing and rapid recovery of individuals affected by prolonged stress. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:44:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-84d9baf44bcf47499ea4af18288e3bdf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:44:31Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-84d9baf44bcf47499ea4af18288e3bdf2024-02-29T04:43:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402024-02-011510.3389/fpsyt.2024.12959771295977Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian populationZrnka Kovačić Petrović0Zrnka Kovačić Petrović1Tina Peraica2Tina Peraica3Mirta Blažev4Dragica Kozarić-Kovačić5Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Addiction, University Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Psychiatry, Referral Center for Stress-related Disorders of the Ministry of Health, University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Forensic Sciences, University of Split, Split, CroatiaIvo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Forensic Sciences, University of Split, Split, CroatiaBackgroundThe prolonged stress experience caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and two earthquakes led to increased alcohol and psychoactive substance use (PSU) accompanied by a decrease in mental wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) in the Croatian population. Our aim was to determine the relationship between alcohol and PSU and mental health outcomes including anxiety and depression, and QoL.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey conducted from September 30 to October 27, 2021, included 1,118 Croatian adults (220 men and 898 women; mean age, 35.1 ± 12.3 years) recruited through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The survey consisted of a self-reported questionnaire on PSU, the CAGE Alcohol Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL)—BREF. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the association between PSU, problematic alcohol use (PAU), mental health outcomes, and QoL.ResultsThe model demonstrated a good fit and indicated that PSU increase, PAU, and anxiety and depression symptoms significantly explained all QoL domains (p < 0.001 for all). Both PSU increase and PAU during prolonged stress were directly associated with decreased QoL. These relationships were also indirectly mediated through increased anxiety and depression symptoms.ConclusionThese results showed the need to direct public health interventions and treatment interventions during and after long-term stress (pandemics and earthquakes) to reduce the negative impact on substance use and QoL by reducing depression and anxiety, which ultimately may contribute to better wellbeing and rapid recovery of individuals affected by prolonged stress.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1295977/fullsubstance abusealcohol drinkingprolonged stressquality of lifemental health |
| spellingShingle | Zrnka Kovačić Petrović Zrnka Kovačić Petrović Tina Peraica Tina Peraica Mirta Blažev Dragica Kozarić-Kovačić Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population Frontiers in Psychiatry substance abuse alcohol drinking prolonged stress quality of life mental health |
| title | Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population |
| title_full | Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population |
| title_fullStr | Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population |
| title_short | Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population |
| title_sort | association between prolonged stress caused by covid 19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life anxiety depression psychoactive substances and problematic alcohol use in adult croatian population |
| topic | substance abuse alcohol drinking prolonged stress quality of life mental health |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1295977/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zrnkakovacicpetrovic associationbetweenprolongedstresscausedbycovid19pandemicandearthquakesandqualityoflifeanxietydepressionpsychoactivesubstancesandproblematicalcoholuseinadultcroatianpopulation AT zrnkakovacicpetrovic associationbetweenprolongedstresscausedbycovid19pandemicandearthquakesandqualityoflifeanxietydepressionpsychoactivesubstancesandproblematicalcoholuseinadultcroatianpopulation AT tinaperaica associationbetweenprolongedstresscausedbycovid19pandemicandearthquakesandqualityoflifeanxietydepressionpsychoactivesubstancesandproblematicalcoholuseinadultcroatianpopulation AT tinaperaica associationbetweenprolongedstresscausedbycovid19pandemicandearthquakesandqualityoflifeanxietydepressionpsychoactivesubstancesandproblematicalcoholuseinadultcroatianpopulation AT mirtablazev associationbetweenprolongedstresscausedbycovid19pandemicandearthquakesandqualityoflifeanxietydepressionpsychoactivesubstancesandproblematicalcoholuseinadultcroatianpopulation AT dragicakozarickovacic associationbetweenprolongedstresscausedbycovid19pandemicandearthquakesandqualityoflifeanxietydepressionpsychoactivesubstancesandproblematicalcoholuseinadultcroatianpopulation |