The Impact of COVID-19 on Members of the Saudi Community: Perceptions and Expectations From the Pandemic.

Background and purpose Community individuals and sectors worldwide, including health, security, economy, education, and occupation, are being challenged to confront the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The deadly virus originated in Wuhan city in China and spread globally to other countries on account of its rapid mode of transmission. Solidarity and cooperation were vital elements in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic all around the globe. Actions of solidarity among countries included gathering the world's leading experts to discuss the latest research and innovation while working to promote knowledge and empowerment across the communities. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on different aspects of the Saudi community, including health, education, finance, lifestyle, and others. We also wanted to identify the perceptions of the general Saudi population regarding the impact of the pandemic and its long-term effects. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2020 to February 2021 among individuals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The online self-developed survey was disseminated to thousands of individuals in the Saudi community and yielded 920 responses. Results Roughly 49% of the studied participants postponed their dental and cosmetic center appointments, and 31% reported delayed periodic health appointments in hospitals and primary healthcare centers. Around 64% reported missing hearing "Tarawih/Qiyam" Islamic prayers. Furthermore, 38% of the study respondents reported being anxious and stressed, 23% reported having sleeping disorders, and 16% wanted to be isolated from the community. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic helped approximately 65% of the studied participants to abstain from ordering from restaurants and cafes. Additionally, 63% of them reported gaining new skills or behaviors during the pandemic. Many participants (54%) thought that after the curfew recession, they will face financial challenges while 44% assumed that life will not return to what it used to be. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has had a multidimensional impact on Saudi society, which has affected both individuals and the community as a whole. Some of the short-term perceived impacts involved interruption in the provision of health care, poor mental well-being, financial hardship, challenges related to homeschooling and working from home, and the inability to fulfill spiritual needs. On the bright side, community individuals demonstrated the ability to learn and develop during the pandemic by striving to acquire knowledge and new skills.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of university students in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental well-being of students worldwide. There is a scarcity of information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19, including depression, anxiety and resilience among a sample of university students in the UAE. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from September to November 2021. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were used to assess depression, anxiety, and resilience. The COVID-19 impact was assessed using a list of questions. RESULTS: Only, 798 students completed the survey and were analyzed for this study. Overall, 74.8% of the students were females, 91.2% were never married, and 66.3% were UAE-nationals. Based on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 cut-off scores (≥ 10), four out of ten of the students self-reported moderate to severe depression (40.9%) and anxiety (39.1%). Significantly higher mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found among students who were impacted by COVID-19 than those non-impacted (mean PHQ-9 = 9.51 ± 6.39 and 6.80 ± 6.34; p = 0.001, respectively) and (mean GAD-7 = 9.03 ± 6.00 and 8.54 ± 6.02; respectively, p < 0.001). Female students who were impacted by COVID-19 had statistically significant higher depression and anxiety scores (mean PHQ-9 of 9.14 ± 5.86 vs. 6.83 ± 6.25, respectively; p < 0.001) than the non-impacted females (mean GAD-7 of 9.57 ± 6.32 vs. 5.15 ± 3.88, respectively; p = 0.005). Never married students had significantly higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores than ever-married (9.31 ± 6.37 vs. 6.93 ± 5.47, P = 0.003) and (8.89 ± 6.11 vs. 7.13 ± 5.49, respectively; p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of this sample of university students in terms of depression and anxiety. The results highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for university students and focus on vulnerable groups.

Self-reported perspectives, Lived experiences and Assessment of COVID-19 survivors in India from media and social media during Nationwide lockdown: A Preliminary study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a tremendous threat as a rapidly spreading disease, and has significant consequences on the global public health in particular to the psychological aspect of the survivors. The lived experiences require urgent documentation to tailor-make psychiatric assessments and long-term follow-ups. Aim: To explore adolescents' self-reported perspectives and lived experiences during their COVID-19 illness which was voluntarily shared through media and social media platforms during the nationwide lockdown in India. Methods: Being a preliminary study, the sample size was calculated as 20 based on similar studies in the literature. Voluntarily shared data of COVID-19 survivors were extracted from media and social media. Based on the data, an assessment sheet was prepared, pre-tested and shared with three observers via convenient sampling. Results: Male predominance was noted. The mean age was found to be 39.5 years. English was the most commonly uploaded language to communicate suffering. Instagram and YouTube were the most prevalent social media sites for self-reported experiences. The most prevalent physical symptom was fever and cough. Stress, anxiety and stigmatization were more commonly reported. Statistical significance was obtained between fear and end of life, depression and suicide, pain and isolation and worried with insomnia. Conclusion: COVID-19 not only affects physical health but also takes a toll on the mental health of the patients. There is a high prevalence rate of psychological distress among COVID-19 survivors, and we recommend a formal psychiatric assessment and long-term follow-up to understand the unique challenges faced by the COVID-19 survivors, with effective communication and empathy towards them.

Psychological Impact of Covid-19 on the Public

The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) originated from China in the last week of December, 2019. It spread very rapidly across the globe and was declared as a global emergency and a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Millions of people were affected by this current pandemic globally, and as compared to the physical effects of this catastrophic pandemic it has also critical psychological effects on human life. Various societal stigmas related to COVID-19, lack of anticipatory planning of governments, and failure of global health care leaders and agencies to quickly respond to this crisis has made the current pandemic more devastating for mental health. Numerous adverse effects of the current pandemic on the mental health of the patients and the public such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, increased substance abuse, domestic violence, behavior changes and suicide tendency have severely compromised the resilience of patients and families. The aim of the article was to create an insight in world health care agencies, local health care leaders and the government regarding the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the affected families and public in Pakistan. Moreover, in the light of international research and WHO guidelines, this paper has provided suggestions and recommendations to local government and public regarding management of COVID-19's adverse effects on mental health.

Psychological distress among survivors of moderate-to-critical COVID-19 illness: A multicentric prospective cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is predicted to have long-term sequelae on the physical and mental health of survivors. We aim to calculate the prevalence of psychological distress in moderate-to-critical survivors of COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients discharged from the hospital after moderate-to-critical COVID-19 were interviewed using e-mail at 30 and 60 days for anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and PTSD Check List-5 questionnaire, respectively. RESULTS: In 103 patients (96% were immigrant workers), the prevalence rate of clinically significant anxiety, depression, and PTSD was 21.4%, 12.7%, and 8.7% at day 30 and 9.5%, 7.1%, and 4.7% at day 60, respectively. There was significantly higher anxiety in patients of Indian nationality and depression with preexisting chronic illness. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence rate of clinically significant psychological distress among COVID-19 survivors, and we propose a formal psychiatric assessment and long-term follow-up.