Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in serbia - results from an online survey
Introduction COVID-19 outbreak has significantly affected the mental health of people worldwide. The first wave of the pandemic began during the beginning of March 2020, and included significant preventative measures. Previous research on mental health differences between the genders has found th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-04-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821007264/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1827755058191663104 |
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| author | A. Opanković M. Latas S. Jerotić I. Ristić S. Milovanović |
| author_facet | A. Opanković M. Latas S. Jerotić I. Ristić S. Milovanović |
| author_sort | A. Opanković |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
COVID-19 outbreak has significantly affected the mental health of people worldwide. The first wave of the pandemic began during the beginning of March 2020, and included significant preventative measures. Previous research on mental health differences between the genders has found that women were more likely to exhibit symptoms of anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Objectives
The aim of our study was to assess the differences between the genders in depression, anxiety, and stress.
Methods
An online survey designed for the purposes of this study was distributed using the snowballing method during April and May of 2020. The survey consisted of two parts: sociodemographic and clinical data, and COVID-19 related data. Participants also filled out the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) - a well validated, self-questionnaire instrument. T-test for independent samples was used to evaluate the differences between the genders.
Results
Out of the initially sent 563 surveys, a total of 161 were included in further analyses (28.6% response rate). Mean age of the sample was 42.2±10.2 and 65.2% of the participants were female. Mean scores on DASS-21 were as follows: 8.78±6.66 on depression, 9.78±7.39 on anxiety and 7.76±7.14 on stress. Females scored significantly higher on depression (t=-2.25, p=0.029), anxiety (t=-2.25, p=0.028), stress (t=-2.44, p=0.017), and total DASS-21 score (t=-2.44, p=0.016).
Conclusions
The results of our study imply that female participants exhibit higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Larger, population-based studies could provide a mroe in-depth answer to the importance of these differences for the general population.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:57:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-99152f1b42614cd08027232fdef7d667 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:57:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-99152f1b42614cd08027232fdef7d6672023-11-17T05:05:17ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S270S27110.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.726Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in serbia - results from an online surveyA. Opanković0M. Latas1S. Jerotić2I. Ristić3S. Milovanović4Psychiatry, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaPsychiatry, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, SerbiaPsychiatry, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaPsychiatry, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaPsychiatry, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia Introduction COVID-19 outbreak has significantly affected the mental health of people worldwide. The first wave of the pandemic began during the beginning of March 2020, and included significant preventative measures. Previous research on mental health differences between the genders has found that women were more likely to exhibit symptoms of anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak. Objectives The aim of our study was to assess the differences between the genders in depression, anxiety, and stress. Methods An online survey designed for the purposes of this study was distributed using the snowballing method during April and May of 2020. The survey consisted of two parts: sociodemographic and clinical data, and COVID-19 related data. Participants also filled out the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) - a well validated, self-questionnaire instrument. T-test for independent samples was used to evaluate the differences between the genders. Results Out of the initially sent 563 surveys, a total of 161 were included in further analyses (28.6% response rate). Mean age of the sample was 42.2±10.2 and 65.2% of the participants were female. Mean scores on DASS-21 were as follows: 8.78±6.66 on depression, 9.78±7.39 on anxiety and 7.76±7.14 on stress. Females scored significantly higher on depression (t=-2.25, p=0.029), anxiety (t=-2.25, p=0.028), stress (t=-2.44, p=0.017), and total DASS-21 score (t=-2.44, p=0.016). Conclusions The results of our study imply that female participants exhibit higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Larger, population-based studies could provide a mroe in-depth answer to the importance of these differences for the general population. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821007264/type/journal_articleCOVID-19Gender differencesDASS-21Anxiety |
| spellingShingle | A. Opanković M. Latas S. Jerotić I. Ristić S. Milovanović Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in serbia - results from an online survey European Psychiatry COVID-19 Gender differences DASS-21 Anxiety |
| title | Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in serbia - results from an online survey |
| title_full | Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in serbia - results from an online survey |
| title_fullStr | Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in serbia - results from an online survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in serbia - results from an online survey |
| title_short | Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in serbia - results from an online survey |
| title_sort | gender differences in depression anxiety and stress during the first wave of the covid 19 pandemic in serbia results from an online survey |
| topic | COVID-19 Gender differences DASS-21 Anxiety |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821007264/type/journal_article |
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