Background The unprecedented worldwide crisis caused by the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the restrictive public health measures enforced by some countries to slow down its transmission have severely threatened the physical and mental wellbeing of communities globally. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of anxiety in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two researchers independently searched for cross-sectional community-based studies published between December 1, 2019 and August 23, 2020, using PubMed, WoS, Embase, and other sources (e.g., grey literature, manual search). Results Of 3049 records retrieved, 43 studies were included. These studies yielded an estimated overall prevalence of anxiety of 25%, which varied significantly across the different tools used to measure anxiety. Consistently reported risk factors for the development of anxiety included initial or peak phase of the outbreak, female sex, younger age, marriage, social isolation, unemployment and student status, financial hardship, low educational level, insufficient knowledge of COVID-19, epidemiological or clinical risk of disease and some lifestyle and personality variables. Conclusions As the overall global prevalence of anxiety disorders is estimated to be 7.3% normally, our results suggest that rates of anxiety in the general population could be more than 3 times higher during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings suggest a substantial impact on mental health that should be targeted by individual and population-level strategies.

Prevalence of anxiety in the COVID-19 pandemic: An updated meta-analysis of community-based studies.

Following an outbreak of a novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China, rapid community, regional and international spread has occurred with exponential growth in cases and deaths On 30 January 2020, the Director-General (DG) of the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) The first case in the Americas was confirmed in the USA on 20 January 2020, followed by Brazil on 26 February 2020 Since then, COVID-19 has spread to all 54 countries and territories in the Americas Situation in numbers in the Americas as of 15 June (15:00): 3,841,609 confirmed cases;203,574 deaths: 54 countries / areas / territories counted for epidemiological purposes

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Anticipating the long-term cardiovascular effects of COVID-19.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic raises concerns about the mental health of the world population. Protection measures to prevention the disease impacted education and undergraduate students were exposed to additional stressors. Objectives Analyze depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in undergraduates, their respective predictors and the association with satisfaction with life, psychological well-being and coping strategies. Methods An online cross-sectional study was conducted from September 14 to October 19, 2020, involving undergraduate students enrolled in 33 courses from 5 public university campuses in the state of Parana, Brazil, using: questionnaire with sociodemographic, academic, health and pandemic effects variables; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21); Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS); Psychological Well-Being (PWB); BriefCOPE. The convenience sample was composed of 1,224 participants, with 18 years old or older, that completed all research instruments. Spearman correlation and logistic analysis (univariate and multivariate) were applied to the collected data. Results Most of the undergraduates presented symptoms of depression (60.5%), anxiety (52.5%) and stress (57.5%). Depression, anxiety and stress presented significant correlations in common: negative with satisfaction with life, all dimensions of psychological well-being, and 3 adaptive copings (active coping, planning, positive reframing); positive with 5 maladaptive copings (behavioral disengagement, denial, self-blame, self-distraction, substance use). In addition, there were 7 common predictors for symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress: female; age 18-24 years old; having a chronic disease; lower scores in 2 dimensions of psychological well-being (positive relations with others, self-acceptance); higher scores in 2 maladaptive copings (self-blame, substance use). Conclusions The data indicate a high prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and suggest that higher scores of satisfaction with life, psychological well-being dimensions and adaptive copings may present protective effects in undergraduates during a pandemic crisis.

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Depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Brazilian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Predictors and association with life satisfaction, psychological well-being and coping strategies.

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) different countries implemented quarantine measures to limit the spread of the virus. Many studies analysed the mental health consequences of restrictive confinement, some of which focused their attention on specific populations. The general public's mental health also requires significant attention, however. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 quarantine on the general population's mental health in different European countries. Risk and protective factors associated with the psychological symptoms were analysed.A systematic search was conducted on four electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Google Scholar). Studies published up until 20th April 2021, and following eligibility criteria were selected for this review. One thousand three hundred thirty-five (1335) studies were screened, 105 of which were included. Via network analysis, the current study investigated the pathways that underlie possible risk factors for mental health outcomes.Anxiety, depression, distress and post-traumatic symptoms are frequently experienced during the COVID-19 quarantine and are often associated with changes in sleeping and eating habits. Some socio-demographic and COVID-19-related variables were found to be risk factors for an individual's wellbeing. In particular, being female, young, having a low income, being unemployed and having COVID-19-like symptoms or chronic disorders, were found to be the most common risk factors for mental health symptoms.The COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented threat to mental health globally. In order to prevent psychological morbidity and offer support tailored to short-, medium- and long-term negative outcomes, it is essential to identify the direct and indirect psychosocial effects of the lockdown and quarantine measures, especially in certain vulnerable groups. In addition to measures to reduce the curve of viral transmission, policy makers should urgently take into consideration provisions to alleviate hazards to mental health. 

Psychological impact of the quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic on the general European adult population: a systematic review of the evidence

Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and its associated measures led to high levels of mental distress in the general population Previous research indicated that young people are especially vulnerable for a wide range of mental health problems during the pandemic, but little is known about the mechanisms This study examined mental distress and its contributing factors among young Belgian people Methods: An online survey was widely distributed in Belgium during the first wave of COVID-19 in March, and 16-25-year-olds were selected as a subsample Mental distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and a threshold of ≥4 was used to discriminate mental distress cases from non-cases Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate possible predictors of mental distress, including demographics, chronic condition, history of mental health problems, social support, exposure to COVID-19, and several changes in everyday activities Results: A total of 2,008 respondents were included, of which the majority was female (7809%) and student (6682%) The results indicate that about two thirds (6549%) experienced mental distress In the multivariable regression model, significant (p < 001) predictors of mental distress were female gender (OR = 178), low social support (OR = 217), loneliness (OR = 517), a small (OR = 163), or large (OR = 308) increase in social media use, a small (OR = 163) or large (OR = 217) decrease in going out for drinks or food, and a decrease in doing home activities (OR = 272) Conclusion: Young people experience high levels of mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic Our findings indicate that mental distress was highest among women, those experiencing loneliness or low social support and those whose usual everyday life is most affected The psychological needs of young people, such as the need for peer interaction, should be more recognized and supported

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Mental Distress and Its Contributing Factors Among Young People During the First Wave of COVID-19: A Belgian Survey Study

Like previous pandemics, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has direct and indirect effects, including in mental health. To evaluate the immediate psychological impact of COVID-19, we conducted an online survey in Portugal (24-27 March 2020), using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). From the 10,529 participants (M = 31.33; SD = 9.73), 83.4% were women, had a mean age of 31.2 years, and 70.9% were active workers. Depression, anxiety, and stress were rated as moderate to severe in 11.7%, 16.9%, and 5.6% of the sample, respectively. Moreover, 49.2% of participants reported a moderate or severe psychological impact of the outbreak. Women, the unemployed, those with lower education, living in rural areas, and with flu-like symptoms or chronic disorders were risk factors. Further research is needed to identify vulnerable groups to better inform and adapt mental health policies and interventions.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13548506.2020.1808236

COVID-19 in Portugal: exploring the immediate psychological impact on the general population.

The COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the main international concerns regarding its impact on mental health. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and behavioral aspects amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in a Brazilian population. An online survey was administered from May 22 to June 5, 2020 using a questionnaire comprising of sociodemographic information, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Coping Strategies Inventory. Participants comprised 3,000 people from Brazil's 26 states and the Federal District, with an average age of 39.8 years, women (83%), married (50.6%), graduates (70.1%) and employees (46.7%). Some contracted the virus (6.4%) and had dead friends or relatives (22.7%). There was more consumption of drugs, tobacco, medication, and food (40.8%). Almost half of participants expressed symptoms of depression (46.4%), anxiety (39.7%), and stress (42.2%). These were higher in women, people without children, students, patients with chronic diseases, and people who had contact with others diagnosed with COVID-19. The existence of a group more vulnerable to situations with a high stress burden requires greater attention regarding mental health during and after the pandemic. That said, it should be emphasized that these findings are preliminary and portray a moment still being faced by many people amid the pandemic and quarantine measures. Therefore, we understand that the magnitude of the impacts on mental health will only be more specific with continuous studies after total relaxation of the quarantine.

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Exploratory study on the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general Brazilian population.

In the scope of attachment research, fathers are no longer excluded, assuming that father-baby relationship has an equivalent affective pattern as in mothers. Paternal Postnatal Attachment Scale PPAS, a 19 items – three factor scale was created to support this (Condon & Corkindale, 2008). Due to the relevance of attachment in family functioning, we intend to validate PPAS to Portuguese population. After the back-translation process, pre-test with 10 men, PPAS was applied to 220, 21-57 year old men (M=33.4; SD=6.11), mostly married (82.7%), newly fathers (M= 6.88 months; SD= 6.21). After KMO (0.79) and Bartlett’s test values confirmed (p <.001), a PC Analysis-varimax rotation was conducted. Two factors were extracted, explaining 32.4% of total variance: 1st factor - Attachment quality (11 items, ?=.77); 2nd - Patience and tolerance (5 items, ?=.64). Three items with lower factor loading (<.30) were excluded, resulting in 16 items with a good internal consistency (?=.80). The bi-factor structure doesn't support the original Condon and Corkindale’s model (Pleasure in interaction; Patience and tolerance; Affection and Pride), though it's consistent with attachment theory background.

Rute Brites

Papers

COVID-19 in Portugal: exploring the immediate psychological impact on the general population.

Exploratory study on the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general Brazilian population.

Paternal Post-Attachment Scale: Validation Studies to the Portuguese Population

Escala Toulousiana de Coping – reduzida. Manual técnico de utilização

Escala de Estima de Si – S.E.R.T.H.UAL Versão Reduzida: Estudos de Validação I S.E.R.T.H.UAL Self-Esteem Scale Reduced Version: Validation Studies