Psychological distress during the COVID-19 epidemic in Chile: The role of economic uncertainty
PLoS ONE Vol 16(11), 2021, ArtID e0251683
; 16(11), 2021.
Article
in English
| APA PsycInfo | ID: covidwho-1837265
ABSTRACT
Previous research has shown that the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing, and lockdown can affect people's psychological well-being. The aims of this study were (1) to estimate the extent to which perceptions and expectations regarding the social, economic, and domestic effects of the COVID-19 outbreak are associated with psychological distress and (2) to identify some demographic, psychosocial, and economic factors associated with increased vulnerability to psychological distress during the COVID-19 outbreak in Chile. 1078 people participated in a telephone survey between May 30 and June 10, 2020. The sample is representative of the Chilean adult population. Psychological distress was assessed through a questionnaire of anxious and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-4). We analyzed the data set using ordinary least-squares regression models, first estimating models for the entire sample, and then stratifying the sample into different groups to explore differences by gender and age. 19.2% of participants displayed significant psychological distress (PHQ-4 >= 6), with moderate to severe anxiety-depression symptoms being more prevalent in women than in men (23.9% vs 14.1%, chi2 16.78, p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that being a woman, feeling lonely and isolated, living in the areas hit hardest by the pandemic and lockdown, expecting a lack of income due to having to stop working as a consequence of the pandemic, and having a history of diagnosed mental disorders are significantly associated with psychological distress (p < 0.05). The results of this study highlight the need to implement psychosocial programs to guard people's psychological well-being and social policies to address economic uncertainty during the current COVID-19 outbreak in Chile. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
psychological distress, COVID-19, epidemic, economics, uncertainty; *Distress; *Epidemics; *Income (Economic); *Uncertainty; *covid-19; Economics; Human Sex Differences; Mental Health; Models; Psychological Stress; Sex Roles; Physical Distancing; Personality Traits & Processes [3120]; Physical & Somatoform & Psychogenic Disorders [3290]; Human Male Female Adulthood (18 yrs & older) Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs) Thirties (30-39 yrs) Middle Age (40-64 yrs); Chile
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Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
APA PsycInfo
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Chile
Language:
English
Journal:
PLoS ONE Vol 16(11), 2021, ArtID e0251683
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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