Assessing the Mental Health Status of the General Population of Kerman and the Factors Affecting it During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Introduction and purpose: With the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent changes, such as the closure of high-risk jobs, creation of emergency levels of public health, and home quarantine, the mental health of people, was severely affected. In this regard, the present study aimed to assess the effects...

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Main Authors: Arash Farvahari, Saber Amirzadeh Googhari, Vadidreza Borhaninejad, Ali Bahramnejad, Mozhgan Negarestani
Format: Article
Language:fas
Published: Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences 2022-04-01
Series:تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jhc.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-645-en.html
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author Arash Farvahari
Saber Amirzadeh Googhari
Vadidreza Borhaninejad
Ali Bahramnejad
Mozhgan Negarestani
author_facet Arash Farvahari
Saber Amirzadeh Googhari
Vadidreza Borhaninejad
Ali Bahramnejad
Mozhgan Negarestani
author_sort Arash Farvahari
collection DOAJ
description Introduction and purpose: With the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent changes, such as the closure of high-risk jobs, creation of emergency levels of public health, and home quarantine, the mental health of people, was severely affected. In this regard, the present study aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 in Kerman. The study sample consisted of 500 cases who were selected via the available sampling method. Due to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, data was collected through online questionnaires shared on WhatsApp and Telegram (including the general population living in different parts of Kerman. To assess mental health, the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)  was used, the validity and reliability of which have been confirmed in various studies (Cronbach's alpha of 0.8). Factors affecting mental health status included demographic information (including age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, and income) and questions about media use status. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (Version 23) using independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the subjects was reported as 34.94 years, and 58.6% of the subjects did not have good mental health status. Moreover, 88.8 % of participants followed COVID-19 news through social media. The results of one-way ANOVA indicated that mental health scores were different in different groups of age, education, occupation, and income (P<0.05). Furthermore, in logistic regression analysis, the factors affecting mental health, education, and life satisfaction were significant, indicating a better mental health chance in people with higher-level education and higher life satisfaction (P<0.05). Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems. Therefore, it is suggested to develop mental health support programs and psychological interventions.
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spelling doaj.art-e0ff21716c9d4deaa5f5184f20233e512023-01-01T06:28:01ZfasMazandaran University of Medical Sciencesتحقیقات سلامت در جامعه2423-67722423-67642022-04-01816980Assessing the Mental Health Status of the General Population of Kerman and the Factors Affecting it During the Covid-19 PandemicArash Farvahari0Saber Amirzadeh Googhari1Vadidreza Borhaninejad2Ali Bahramnejad3Mozhgan Negarestani4 Msc in Biostatistics, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Msc in Biostatistics, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Assistant Professor, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran PhD in Neuroscience, Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Msc in Public Administration, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Introduction and purpose: With the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent changes, such as the closure of high-risk jobs, creation of emergency levels of public health, and home quarantine, the mental health of people, was severely affected. In this regard, the present study aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 in Kerman. The study sample consisted of 500 cases who were selected via the available sampling method. Due to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, data was collected through online questionnaires shared on WhatsApp and Telegram (including the general population living in different parts of Kerman. To assess mental health, the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)  was used, the validity and reliability of which have been confirmed in various studies (Cronbach's alpha of 0.8). Factors affecting mental health status included demographic information (including age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, and income) and questions about media use status. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (Version 23) using independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the subjects was reported as 34.94 years, and 58.6% of the subjects did not have good mental health status. Moreover, 88.8 % of participants followed COVID-19 news through social media. The results of one-way ANOVA indicated that mental health scores were different in different groups of age, education, occupation, and income (P<0.05). Furthermore, in logistic regression analysis, the factors affecting mental health, education, and life satisfaction were significant, indicating a better mental health chance in people with higher-level education and higher life satisfaction (P<0.05). Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems. Therefore, it is suggested to develop mental health support programs and psychological interventions.http://jhc.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-645-en.htmlcovid-19mental healthpandemicspopulationrisk factors
spellingShingle Arash Farvahari
Saber Amirzadeh Googhari
Vadidreza Borhaninejad
Ali Bahramnejad
Mozhgan Negarestani
Assessing the Mental Health Status of the General Population of Kerman and the Factors Affecting it During the Covid-19 Pandemic
تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
covid-19
mental health
pandemics
population
risk factors
title Assessing the Mental Health Status of the General Population of Kerman and the Factors Affecting it During the Covid-19 Pandemic
title_full Assessing the Mental Health Status of the General Population of Kerman and the Factors Affecting it During the Covid-19 Pandemic
title_fullStr Assessing the Mental Health Status of the General Population of Kerman and the Factors Affecting it During the Covid-19 Pandemic
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the Mental Health Status of the General Population of Kerman and the Factors Affecting it During the Covid-19 Pandemic
title_short Assessing the Mental Health Status of the General Population of Kerman and the Factors Affecting it During the Covid-19 Pandemic
title_sort assessing the mental health status of the general population of kerman and the factors affecting it during the covid 19 pandemic
topic covid-19
mental health
pandemics
population
risk factors
url http://jhc.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-645-en.html
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