Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.028
Title: A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China
Authors: Wang, Cuiyan
Pan, Riyu
Wan, Xiaoyang
Tan, Yilin 
Xu, Linkang
McIntyre, Roger S
Choo, Faith N
Tran, Bach
Ho, Roger
Sharma, Vijay K 
Ho, Cyrus
Keywords: Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Immunology
Neurosciences
Psychiatry
Neurosciences & Neurology
Anxiety
Coronavirus
COVID-19
Depression
Epidemic
Longitudinal
Stress
Pandemic
Precaution
Post-traumatic stress disorder
DEPRESSION
Issue Date: 1-Jul-2020
Publisher: ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
Citation: Wang, Cuiyan, Pan, Riyu, Wan, Xiaoyang, Tan, Yilin, Xu, Linkang, McIntyre, Roger S, Choo, Faith N, Tran, Bach, Ho, Roger, Sharma, Vijay K, Ho, Cyrus (2020-07-01). A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY 87 : 40-48. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.028
Abstract: In addition to being a public physical health emergency, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected global mental health, as evidenced by panic-buying worldwide as cases soared. Little is known about changes in levels of psychological impact, stress, anxiety and depression during this pandemic. This longitudinal study surveyed the general population twice - during the initial outbreak, and the epidemic's peak four weeks later, surveying demographics, symptoms, knowledge, concerns, and precautionary measures against COVID-19. There were 1738 respondents from 190 Chinese cities (1210 first-survey respondents, 861 s-survey respondents; 333 respondents participated in both). Psychological impact and mental health status were assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), respectively. IES-R measures PTSD symptoms in survivorship after an event. DASS -21 is based on tripartite model of psychopathology that comprise a general distress construct with distinct characteristics. This study found that there was a statistically significant longitudinal reduction in mean IES-R scores (from 32.98 to 30.76, p < 0.01) after 4 weeks. Nevertheless, the mean IES-R score of the first- and second-survey respondents were above the cut-off scores (>24) for PTSD symptoms, suggesting that the reduction in scores was not clinically significant. During the initial evaluation, moderate-to-severe stress, anxiety and depression were noted in 8.1%, 28.8% and 16.5%, respectively and there were no significant longitudinal changes in stress, anxiety and depression levels (p > 0.05). Protective factors included high level of confidence in doctors, perceived survival likelihood and low risk of contracting COVID-19, satisfaction with health information, personal precautionary measures. As countries around the world brace for an escalation in cases, Governments should focus on effective methods of disseminating unbiased COVID-19 knowledge, teaching correct containment methods, ensuring availability of essential services/commodities, and providing sufficient financial support.
Source Title: BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
URI: https://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/192521
ISSN: 08891591
10902139
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.028
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