Generalised anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and their subjective change after the first wave of COVID-19 among gamers in Poland.

Previous studies have indicated that levels of emotional distress were considerably elevated during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, some longitudinal studies did not confirm these findings. There is a very limited number of studies on specific subpopulations, such as video gamers in this particular period. Playing video games may have either a beneficial influence on mental health by diminishing stress or a detrimental impact in terms of increasing depression and anxiety. It is, therefore, important to establish whether regular gamers differ from the general population in terms of symptoms of depression and anxiety during COVID-19. A total of 1023 participants (aged 18-50) participated in the study. The sample was composed of gamers and was representative of the Polish population. Participants completed a modified version of GAD-7, PHQ-9 online, addressing subjective change in anxiety and depressive symptoms. 25% of the sample reported clinically significant anxiety levels, and 35% mentioned depression. There were no differences in anxiety and depression levels between the investigated sample of gamers and the general population. However, up to 30% of individuals reported an increase in subjective change in anxiety or depressive symptoms during COVID-19. A further 30% reported a downward subjective change in anxiety or depressive symptoms during COVID-19. The remaining 40% declared a lack of change in the subjective change in anxiety or depressive symptoms during COVID-19. Those who reported an increase scored substantially higher in anxiety and depression than other groups. This indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted people's mental health along a syndemic-syndaimonic continuum. COVID-19 might have been harmful to those with already poorer mental health and beneficial to those with good mental health. It is also important to plan interventions targeting vulnerable individuals who report clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression - women and younger adults and those who subjectively perceive their emotional condition to deteriorate during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Changes in couples sexual behavior during the lockdown due to COVID-19 in Puerto Rico

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought adverse consequences in several areas of a person's functioning, including economic, work, family, and academic. One area that has been little investigated in Puerto Rico is the effect of confinement on couples' sexual behavior. The objectives of the present study were: (1) analyze whether there are statistically significant differences between the sexual satisfaction of the participants before and during quarantine;(2) examine whether there have been significant changes in the quality of intimate relationships during the quarantine;and (3) evaluate whether anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety significantly predict participants' sexual satisfaction during quarantine. The sample consisted of 392 adults, primarily women (87.5%). The main results reflected a decrease in the quality of the couple's relationship and sexual satisfaction during the quarantine. In addition, the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and sexual satisfaction during quarantine was low and negative. Although some differences turned out to be statistically significant, a look at these differences highlights that the differences were minimal at a practical and clinical level. Recommendations and practical implications are discussed from a clinical and counseling angle. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) La pandemia por coronavirus (COVID-19) trajo secuelas adversas en varias areas del funcionamiento de las personas, entre ellas economicas, laborales, familiares y academicas. Un area que no se ha investigado en Puerto Rico es el efecto de los encierros en la conducta sexual de las parejas. Los objetivos del presente estudio fueron: (1) analizar si existen diferencias estadisticamente significativas entre la satisfaccion sexual de las personas participantes antes y durante la cuarentena;(2) examinar si se han producido cambios significativos en la calidad de las relaciones de pareja durante la cuarentena;y (3) evaluar si la ansiedad y la ansiedad por COVID-19 predicen la satisfaccion sexual de las personas participantes durante la cuarentena. La muestra consistio de 392 personas adultas en su mayoria mujeres (87.5%). Los resultados reflejaron una disminucion en la calidad de la relacion de pareja y en la satisfaccion sexual durante la cuarentena. La relacion entre ansiedad por COVID-19 y satisfaccion sexual durante la cuarentena fue significativa, baja y negativa. A pesar que algunas diferencias resultaron ser estadisticamente significativas, una mirada a dichas diferencias resalta que a nivel practico y clinico las diferencias fueron minimas. Se discuten recomendaciones e implicaciones para la clinica y consejeria. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic of dental hygienists in South Korea-Part II: Fear and anxiety.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the mental fear and anxiety about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Korean clinical dental hygienists and to investigate factors influencing the anxiety felt after the outbreak of COVID-19. METHODS: A questionnaire on mental fear (Fear-C) and anxiety for COVID-19 was conducted among 500 clinical dental hygienists in South Korea. Fear-C was identified with eight questions. The General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire was scored for the pre-COVID-19 situation (GADBefore ) and the current situation going through the pandemic (GADAfter ). The scores for the responses to the questionnaire were 0 points for strong negative and 3 points for strong positive. Higher scores indicate higher levels of fear and anxiety. All data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, and the statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. RESULTS: The average Fear-C was 16.11 ± 3.89 out of 24.00. There were significant differences in Fear-C when the type of work organization and symptoms related to COVID-19 (Sx-C) differed. Significant differences were confirmed in GADBefore according to age range, systemic diseases, and Sx-C (p < 0.05). There was no difference in GADAfter for all general characteristics, except Sx-C (p > 0.05). In the regression model of GADAfter , Sx-C (ß = 0.526), Fear-C (ß = 0.358), and GADBefore (ß = 0.515) were positively related to GADAfter (p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Most dental hygienists complained of Fear-C. GADAfter was significantly higher than GADBefore . The factor that had the greatest impact on GADAfter was Sx-C.

Prediction of general anxiety disorder using machine learning techniques

Today, the increase in mental health problems, the variable nature of mental health and the lack of sufficient number of mental health professionals have led to the search for machine learning that applied to mental health problems extensively, and its use in the field of health is considered as a new hope. Mental disorders are a health illness that affects a person's emotions, reasoning, and social interaction. Early diagnosis and the application of the right treatment after the correct diagnosis have always been the expectation of all humanity. As technologies develop, machine learning has started to attract attention in the field of medicine with the development of diagnostic methods. The aim of this study is to conduct classification studies by using machine learning methods in the diagnosis process of anxiety disorder diseases. A publicly available dataset of 672 people's Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) responses during the COVID-19 period is used. This study demonstrates that it is possible to classify mental health status with 0.97 accuracy rates with the Support Vector Machine algorithm, which has a higher performance than other algorithms. © 2022 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in couples sexual behavior during the lockdown due to COVID-19 in Puerto Rico

(Spanish) La pandemia por coronavirus (COVID-19) trajo secuelas adversas en varias areas del funcionamiento de las personas, entre ellas economicas, laborales, familiares y academicas. Un area que no se ha investigado en Puerto Rico es el efecto de los encierros en la conducta sexual de las parejas. Los objetivos del presente estudio fueron: (1) analizar si existen diferencias estadisticamente significativas entre la satisfaccion sexual de las personas participantes antes y durante la cuarentena;(2) examinar si se han producido cambios significativos en la calidad de las relaciones de pareja durante la cuarentena;y (3) evaluar si la ansiedad y la ansiedad por COVID-19 predicen la satisfaccion sexual de las personas participantes durante la cuarentena. La muestra consistio de 392 personas adultas en su mayoria mujeres (87.5%). Los resultados reflejaron una disminucion en la calidad de la relacion de pareja y en la satisfaccion sexual durante la cuarentena. La relacion entre ansiedad por COVID-19 y satisfaccion sexual durante la cuarentena fue significativa, baja y negativa. A pesar que algunas diferencias resultaron ser estadisticamente significativas, una mirada a dichas diferencias resalta que a nivel practico y clinico las diferencias fueron minimas. Se discuten recomendaciones e implicaciones para la clinica y consejeria. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A Study on the Repercussions of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Mental Health of the Common Public: Machine Learning Approach

COVID-19 is a global pandemic that has drastically changed the way of life of millions of people. A major consequence of these changes is the myriad of psychological problems that has accompanied the lockdown, spread of the virus, and general uncertainty of this time. This project aims to find how the lifestyle of denizens has been affected by the pandemic and correlate these changes with the level of anxiety that people face during this time. To conduct this research, we circulated an online survey to assess the current circumstances of the general public and their corresponding anxiety levels using General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

An Assessment of the Level of COVID-19 Anxiety among Pregnant Women in Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused general anxiety worldwide. Pregnant women are at a much higher risk of developing the infection due to multiple changes that occur in the body during this period. The consequences of the disease can be dramatic not only for the expectant mothers, but also for their unborn children. SARS-CoV-2 infection is generally known to cause serious concerns about future health and life. The data on the severity of COVID-19 pandemic-related anxiety in pregnant women are insufficient. The aim of the study was to assess the level of COVID-19-related anxiety among pregnant women in Poland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 173 pregnant women who volunteered for the research. The research was conducted by means of an online diagnostic survey containing an original questionnaire and the following standardized tools: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). RESULTS: Women hospitalised during pregnancy differed statistically significantly in terms of STAI-X1 scores. Primiparas obtained statistically significantly higher SHAI scores than multiparas. Women with higher education had higher SHAI scores. In the GAD-7 scale, 13.3% of respondents obtained a score suggesting a suspected generalised anxiety disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women are concerned about both developing COVID-19 and the consequences of infection for themselves and their unborn children. The study demonstrated anxiety of varying severity (depending on the tool used). Hospital stay during pregnancy is an additional stressor in expectant women. Further studies are needed to assess the level of COVID-19-related anxiety to assess this phenomenon in Poland in more detail.

Psychosocial status during the prevalence of COVID-19 disease: the comparison between healthcare workers and general population.

The prevalence of COVID-19 disease continues to be a significant psychosocial status among health care workers (HCWs) and the general population worldwide. This cross sectional study aimed to compare the psychosocial status between healthcare workers and general population during the prevalence of COVID-19 disease in southeast Iran. Totally 415 health care workers of a medical service center for COVID-19 patients and 1023 people of general population participated in the study. An online socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ -28), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) were utilized to evaluate psychosocial status. According to GHQ, the psychological disorders of the HCWs were significantly higher than that of the general population (P < 0.001). According to GAD-7, no significant difference was found between general population and HCWs. Multivariate logistic analysis showed no difference between general population and HCWs in the psychological disorder. Although HCWs suffered from psychological disorders more than general population, nearly one third to half of the participants in both groups had psychosocial disorders.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depressive Symptoms, and Sleep Problem During COVID-19 Outbreak in Ethiopia Among Police Officers: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an outbreak that caused serious threats to people worldwide. Police officers are one of those frontline fighters during pandemic. Our study is the first to examine psychological health response among police officers in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: A cross-sectional study design with a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among police officers from Dessie town from June 20 to July 10, 2020. A total of 385 questionnaires were completed correctly accounting for 91% of the total. The data were collected by using demographic information and psychological health assessment tools. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Brief Resilient Coping Scale questionnaire were used to assess depression, anxiety, sleep, and coping status of participants. Results: The rate of depression was found to be 28.9%. Of these, 19.7% had mild, 7.3% had moderate, 1.6 had moderate-severe, and 0.3% had severe depression symptoms. The rate of general anxiety symptoms was found to be 30.2%. Of these, 22.1% of the police officers had mild, 2.6% had moderate, and 5.5% had severe anxiety. Moreover, 13.8% of police officers had subthreshold insomnia and 2.1% had clinical (moderate-severe) insomnia. Participants who are men, married, highly resilient, and have high social support were associated with lower depression, anxiety, and insomnia scores than those of women, being single or widowed/divorced, low resilient coping score, and low social support, respectively. Conclusion: A psychological health problem was found to be higher among police officers in Dessie town. Younger age, sex, marital status, having chronic diseases, coping, and social support with depression, general anxiety, and insomnia were found to be significantly associated with psychological health problems. There is a need for mental health services, support, and care of police officers during the pandemic.

Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic among Caregivers of Young Children in Kenya's Urban Informal Settlements. A Cross-Sectional Telephone Survey.

The emergence of COVID-19 has profoundly affected mental health, especially among highly vulnerable populations. This study describes mental health issues among caregivers of young children and pregnant women in three urban informal settlements in Kenya during the first pandemic year, and factors associated with poor mental health. A cross-sectional telephone survey was administered to 845 participants. Survey instruments included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, and questions on the perceived COVID-19 effects on caregiver wellbeing and livelihood. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and univariate and multivariate analysis. Caregivers perceived COVID-19 as a threatening condition (94.54%), affecting employment and income activities (>80%). Caregivers experienced discrimination (15.27%) and violence (12.6%) during the pandemic. Levels of depression (34%), general anxiety (20%), and COVID-19 related anxiety (14%) were highly prevalent. There were significant associations between mental health outcomes and economic and socio-demographic factors, violence and discrimination experiences, residency, and perceptions of COVID-19 as a threatening condition. Caregivers high burden of mental health problems highlights the urgent need to provide accessible mental health support. Innovative and multi-sectoral approaches will be required to maximize reach to underserved communities in informal settlements and tackle the root causes of mental health problems in this population.

Implementing Home Office Work at a Large Psychiatric University Hospital in Switzerland During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Field Report.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, psychiatric hospitals all over the world had to adapt their services to the prevailing governmental regulations. As a consequence, home office use and telepsychiatry boomed. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of home office use, its adoption, and the association of home office use with employees' mental health in a large psychiatric university hospital in Switzerland. METHODS: We obtained and analyzed home office implementation and use data from the psychiatric university hospital's information technology services. We also conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey to assess the employees' attitudes toward the clinic's crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Part of this web-based survey consisted of questions about home office use between March and June 2020, attitudes toward home office implementation, and mental health. Three mental health measures assessed depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ]-2), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder [GAD]-2), and stress factors (stress module of the PHQ-D); a cut-off score ≥3 was used for the PHQ-2 and GAD-2. RESULTS: Of the 200 participating employees, 69 reported that they had worked from home at least partially (34.5%). Home office use differed significantly across professional groups (χ162=72.72, P≤.001, n=200). Employees experienced neither depressive symptoms (mean 0.76, SD 1.14) nor anxiety (mean 0.70, SD 1.03). The employees reported minor psychosocial stressors (mean 2.83, SD 2.92). The number of reported stress factors varied significantly across groups with different levels of home office use (χ42=9.72, P=.04). CONCLUSIONS: In general, home office implementation appears to be feasible for large psychiatric hospitals, however, it is not equally feasible for all professional groups. Professional groups that require personal contact with patients and technical or manual tasks must work onsite. Further evaluation of home office use in psychiatric hospitals up to the development of clinics that function merely online will follow in future research. The situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic served as a stepping stone to promote home office use and should be used to improve employees' work-life balance, to save employers costs and foster other benefits.

The Assessment of the Severity of COVID-19-Related Anxiety Symptoms in Participants of the University of the Third Age in Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study among Internet Survey Respondents.

INTRODUCTION: Fear of infection with SARS-CoV-2 has become widespread. All over the world, since the very beginning of the pandemic, older adults have been considered one of the groups at highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death due to COVID-19. The aim of the study was to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms related to COVID-19 in the older adults who are participants of the Universities of the Third Age in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included participants of the University of the Third Age in Poland. A total of 296 persons were enrolled, including 258 women and 38 men. The study was a diagnostic survey, conducted with the use of the following validated psychometric scales: General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS: In two scales (STAI and SHAI), the mean scores demonstrated mild symptoms indicative of anxiety disorders in the older respondents. Women and men did differ significantly in terms of the scores obtained in STAI X-1 and STAI X-2. Single respondents differed significantly from divorced ones in terms of STAI X-1 scores. Moreover, widows/widowers differed significantly from divorced ones in terms of STAI X-2, and GAD-7 scores. Respondents declaring their financial status as average differed significantly from those declaring their financial status as good in terms of: STAI X-1, STAI X-2, SHAI, and GAD-7 scores. CONCLUSIONS: The subjective experience of anxiety symptoms associated with fear of contracting COVID-19 was increased due to the ongoing pandemic, but was not significantly high in the analysed population of older people. COVID-19-related anxiety was significantly more common in lonely individuals and in those of worse financial status. Women and men differed significantly in terms of perceived state anxiety and trait anxiety measured by STAI. More studies addressing COVID-19-related anxiety in older people participating in the Polish Universities of the Third Age are needed to determine a more accurate distribution of this phenomenon in Poland.

Is psychological flexibility a mediator between perceived stress and general anxiety or depression among suspected patients of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19)?

This study is aimed to investigate the status of general anxiety and depression among suspected patients of COVID-19 and explore whether psychological flexibility can serve as a mediator between perceived stress and general anxiety or depression. Total of 180 participants completed the online questionnaire which comprised demographic information, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), the 9-item Patients Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) and the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ). Statistical methods including correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis and structural equation model were used in this study. The scores of 23.9% (43/180) and 34.4% (62/180) of participants were higher than the cut points of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 respectively. Psychological flexibility was significantly correlated with perceived stress, general anxiety and depression. Multiple regression analyses showed the possible mediation effect of psychological flexibility between perceived stress and general anxiety or depression. The structural equation model confirmed that psychological flexibility partially mediated between perceived stress and general anxiety or depression. Our findings suggested the potential benefit of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a psychological support approach in suspected patients of COVID-19 because ACT targets psychological flexibility.

Assessing the Level of Awareness of COVID-19 and Prevalence of General Anxiety Disorder among the Hail Community, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major public health problem around the world. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the awareness and prevalence of General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) with regard to COVID-19 among the Hail community, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in order to help health authorities to effectively control the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 412 participants living in Hail, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices for the prevention of COVID-19, as well as psychological feelings in terms of GAD as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The study found that most of the respondents demonstrated good knowledge, attitudes, and practice for COVID-19 prevention. The elderly and employed demonstrated significant positive attitudes and practices (p < 0.05). Participants with a positive attitude were almost two and a half times (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.54-3.99) more likely to have good practices. Additionally, the rural respondents were less likely (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21-0.96) to have a positive attitude. Married participants were more than one and a half (OR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.04-2.44) times more likely to have a positive attitude. The prevalence of GAD was 21.8% and was significantly increased among participants with inadequate knowledge (OR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.25-3.22), females (OR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.19-3.09), individuals with chronic diseases (OR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.02-2.86), and non-Saudi participants (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.02-5.85). CONCLUSIONS: Ensuring a sufficient combination of relatively good levels of knowledge, positive attitudes, and desired practices serves as a good approach to preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, the increased prevalence of GAD requires the attention of policymakers. Therefore, a great emphasis should be placed on health awareness campaigns, with a focus on misconceptions and the provision of counseling.

Does 'COVID-19 phobia' stimulate career anxiety?: Experience from a developing country.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 different forms of anxiety disorder have been seen in the mindset of people all around the world. This study aims to examine a structural relationship between 'COVID-19 phobia' and career anxiety among the workforce from the perspective of a developing country. This study collected survey data using a structured questionnaire by applying the scales of 'COVID-19 Phobia' and career anxiety. Study results reveal that the factors of the 'COVID-19 phobia' have a substantial influence on generating career-related anxiety among the workforce. Study results can play a vital role for the policymakers to formulate long-term policies to retrieve the world's economy. This study combined the concept of specific phobia and general anxiety disorder (GAD) to figure out how the global pandemic impacted peoples' mindsets and create career anxiety. The study results have theoretical and practical implications in many folds.

Worry about COVID-19 contagion and general anxiety: Moderation and mediation effects of cognitive emotion regulation.

The global pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occasioned that most of the population in Spain was confined to home to reduce the risk of contagion. This affected mental health, increasing anxiety and worry about COVID-19 contagion. The aim of this study was assessing the moderation and mediation effect of cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) on general anxiety and whether the mediation effect was moderated by gender and/or age. A total of 1753 Spanish adults (78,6% female; M = 40.4 years, SD = 12.9) participated in an online survey that was available from March 26 to April 25 (2020) during the time period in which the population in Spain was confined. Participants completed measures of worry about COVID-19 contagion, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short (CERQ-Short) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Several models were tested through structural equation modelling. Moderation analyses reported that maladaptive strategies moderated positively anxiety, whereas adaptive strategies moderated negatively anxiety. Also, the best fitted mediation model found that worry about COVID-19 contagion and general anxiety was mediated by CERS in different directions. Maladaptive CERS increased anxiety, whereas adaptive CERS reduced anxiety. Age (not gender) also moderated this mediation, were younger adults presented an indirect effect only through maladaptive CERS, but older adults through both adaptive and maladaptive. Limitations are related to the study design which was a convenience sample. CERS moderated and mediated between worry about COVID-19 contagion and general anxiety. Prevention programs for mental health problems during the pandemic must be provided, especially for younger adults.

Risk Perception, Protective Behaviors, and General Anxiety during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic among Affiliated Health Care Professionals in Taiwan: Comparisons with Frontline Health Care Professionals and the General Public.

This study aimed to compare risk perception, information sources, adoption of protective behaviors against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and levels of general anxiety among affiliated health care professionals, frontline health care professionals, and the general public in Taiwan. We recruited participants via a Facebook advertisement. We determined the risk perception, information sources, adoption of protective behaviors against COVID-19, and levels of general anxiety among 1954 respondents. In total, 269 affiliated healthcare workers, 371 frontline healthcare workers, and 1314 members of the general public were recruited into this study. The results indicated that both affiliated and frontline health care professionals had a higher level of risk perception of COVID-19, and more adopted protective behaviors against COVID-19 than the general public. No significant differences in risk perception or the adoption of protective behaviors were identified between affiliated, and frontline, health care professionals. Affiliated health care professionals had a lower level of general anxiety than the general public, whereas frontline health care professionals exhibited no significant difference in level of general anxiety compared with the general public or affiliated health care professionals. As important members of COVID-19 treatment teams, the need for psychological and educational support in affiliated health care professionals should receive attention.

The prevalence of general anxiety disorder and its associated factors among women's attending at the perinatal service of Dilla University referral hospital, Dilla town, Ethiopia, April, 2020 in Covid pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus is rapidly increasing in Ethiopia, and the number of perinatal service users at the hospital decreased due to the fear of contracting the virus. The mental health of a pregnant mother is vital for preventing pregnancy and birth-related complications. This study aimed to determine the magnitude and associated factors of General anxiety disorder among perinatal service users in Dilla University referral hospital, Dilla, Ethiopia. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 178 respondents from April 6 - May 6, 2020. The sampling technique of this study was Consecutive sampling. Data were collected using a structured interview. General anxiety disorder (GAD-7) was used to determine the outcome variable. Logistic regression analysis and adjusted odd ratio at 95% CI and p < 0.05 was used to determine the statistically significant association between general anxiety disorder and its predictors. RESULT: A total of 178 respondents with a 100% response rate were enrolled in the study. The mean income of respondents was 1500 (±700) Ethiopian birr. The overall prevalence of general anxiety disorder (GAD) was 32.2%. Living in Rural area [AOR = 0.48; 95% CI: (0.25-0.9) P = 0.02∗], Primary level of education [AOR = 0.41; 95%CI:(0.21-0.75), P = 0.03∗], poor social support [AOR = 4.3995%CI:(2.29-12.53), P = 0.001∗∗] and primigravida [AOR = 3.05; 95% CI: (1.53-6.08), P = 0.001∗∗] were variables significantly associated with general anxiety disorder at 95% confidence interval, p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that nearly one-third of the respondents had general anxiety disorder. Therefore, working on the mental health impact of the pandemic among perinatal service users is an urgent solution to promote their physical, mental, and psychological health of a mother and her baby.