Changes in Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Longitudinal Study.
J Epidemiol
; 30(11): 522-528, 2020 11 05.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-789070
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
This longitudinal study aimed to examine the changes in psychological distress of the general public from the early to community-transmission phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate the factors related to these changes.METHODS:
An internet-based survey of 2,400 Japanese people was conducted in two phases early phase (baseline survey February 25-27, 2020) and community-transmission phase (follow-up survey April 1-6, 2020). The presence of severe psychological distress (SPD) was measured using the Kessler's Six-scale Psychological Distress Scale. The difference of SPD percentages between the two phases was examined. Mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the factors associated with the change of SPD status between the two phases.RESULTS:
Surveys for both phases had 2,078 valid respondents (49.3% men; average age, 50.3 years). In the two surveys, individuals with SPD were 9.3% and 11.3%, respectively, demonstrating a significant increase between the two phases (P = 0.005). Significantly higher likelihood to develop SPD were observed among those in lower (ie, 18,600-37,200 United States dollars [USD], odds ratio [OR] 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-3.46) and the lowest income category (ie, <18,600 USD, OR 2.12; 95% CI, 1.16-3.86). Furthermore, those with respiratory diseases were more likely to develop SPD (OR 2.56; 95% CI, 1.51-4.34).CONCLUSIONS:
From the early to community-transmission phases of COVID-19, psychological distress increased among the Japanese. Recommendations include implementing mental health measures together with protective measures against COVID-19 infection, prioritizing low-income people and those with underlying diseases.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Stress, Psychological
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Depression
/
Psychological Distress
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
/
Young adult
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
J Epidemiol
Journal subject:
Epidemiology
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
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