Psychological distress in the face of a pandemic: An observational study characterizing the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant outpatient mental health.
Psychiatry Res
; 295: 113595, 2021 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-969252
ABSTRACT
Undocumented immigrants have disproportionately suffered during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to factors including limited medical access and financial insecurity, which can exacerbate pandemic-associated distress. Psychological outcomes for immigrant outpatients were assessed after transition to telepsychiatry in March 2020. Mental health was assessed with Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) inventories, a novel coronavirus-specific survey, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10+). Feedback on telepsychiatry sessions and access to non-clinical resources were also gathered, after which multivariable linear regression modeling identified psychosocial factors underlying changes in distress levels. 48.57% and 45.71% of participants reported worsened anxiety and depression levels due to the pandemic, respectively. From March to April, PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scores significantly increased by 0.81 and 0.63 points, respectively. The average total psychological distress score was 23.8, with 60% of scores reflecting serious mental illness. Factors that most influenced K10+ scores included a pre-existing depressive disorder, food insecurity, and comfort during telepsychiatry visits. 93.75% of participants believed access to remote psychiatry helped their mental health during COVID-19. The negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health in vulnerable populations stems from medical and psychosocial factors such as pre-existing psychiatric conditions and unmet essential needs.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Anxiety
/
Outpatients
/
Stress, Psychological
/
Telemedicine
/
Depression
/
Emigrants and Immigrants
/
Psychological Distress
/
COVID-19
/
Mental Health Services
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Journal:
Psychiatry Res
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS