Fear and depression during the COVID-19 outbreak in Cameroon: a nation-wide observational study.
BMC Psychiatry
; 21(1): 356, 2021 07 15.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1314258
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with significant psychological and social distress worldwide. We investigated fear and depression among adults in Cameroon during different phases of the COVID-19 outbreak.METHODS:
An online survey was conducted in Cameroon from June-December 2020 using a structured questionnaire. Socio-demographic data and information regarding COVID-19 history were obtained. Fear and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 score (FCV-19S) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Responses were clustered in weeks to better appreciate their evolution over time.RESULTS:
Overall, 7381 responses from all ten regions of Cameroon were analysed (median age 30 years, 73.3% male). The prevalence of depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10) was 8.4%, and that of high fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S scores ≥19) was 57.4%. These rates were similar across genders, age-groups, and region of residence. While mean weekly PHQ-9 scores remained fairly stable throughout the study period (range 2.53-3.21; p = 0.101), mean FCV-19S scores were highest during the early weeks but decreased significantly thereafter (from 20.31 to 18.34; p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses revealed that having a postgraduate degree, a history of quarantine, flu-like symptoms during the past 14 days, and higher FCV-19S scores were associated with more severe depressive symptoms, while obtaining COVID-19 information from various sources reduced the odds for depression.CONCLUSION:
Depression amidst the COVID-19 crisis is less prevalent in Cameroon than in other countries. Prompt and widespread dissemination of adequate COVID-19 information may reduce the risks for depression by dispelling fear and anxiety among Cameroonians.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
BMC Psychiatry
Journal subject:
Psychiatry
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S12888-021-03323-X
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