Post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide risk, feeling of loneliness and life satisfaction in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is an extremely uncommon global epidemic crisis. The study aimed to identify changes in the severity of PTSD symptoms, suicide risk, loneliness and subjective life satisfaction level in the general population, regarding the gender differences, during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s) The study group included 303 general population subjects aged 16-84 (50.2% females and 49.8% males). The research was conducted in two phases. The first stage included 150 subjects, the second 153. The following diagnostic tools were used Impact of Event Scale (IES-R), the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS), Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale (CSASS) and the demographic-descriptive questionnaire. The study was conducted via the Internet. Result(s) In both waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a positive correlation between the feeling of loneliness and the suicide risk, as well as the general level and symptoms intensity of PTSD (intrusion and agitation). In women we observed an increased PTSD level and higher level of intrusion and avoidance symptoms. Having children was a suicide protective factor in women in both waves of the pandemic, and only during the second wave in men. The difference in the declared life satisfaction in both waves was significantly higher in the second study phase only in terms a life satisfaction before the pandemic. Conclusion(s) It is a mental health prevention priority to implement proper crisis interventions and long-term risk assessments in terms of people exposed to the COVID-19 virus and those in social isolation.Copyright © 2022 Via Medica. All rights reserved.