Depression, Anxiety, and Stress During COVID-19 Pandemic Among Females Who Live in Kuwait.

Health regulations to constrain the progress of the pandemic such as lockdowns, curfews, and quarantines made radical alterations in every aspect of individuals' lives, causing significant impact on their mental health and well-being. The current study aimed to examine whether there are significant differences in participants' sociodemographic variables in reported cases of depression, anxiety, and stress among women who lived in Kuwait during the curfew and lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a cross-sectional method. A nonrandom sample of 596 participants was recruited. The current study found that women at higher risk of reporting more incidents of depression, anxiety, and stress during the lockdown and curfew were from the older age group above 50 years old, hold higher educational certificates, and own private businesses. High rates of reported depression and anxiety were detected significantly among Kuwaiti women. The findings of this study reveal the significant impact of an uncomfortable and distressful environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may negatively affected individuals' mental health and generated diverse forms of psychosocial illness.

Aggression and violence during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait.

Background: The lives of the global population have been drastically altered since the emergence of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. These changes comprise their daily lifestyle practices and the professional, and educational systems. In addition to these changes, many psychological illnesses issues have been detected globally. Methods: This study aimed to investigate whether there are significant sociodemographic differences in reported cases of physical and verbal aggression, anger, hostility, and violence among 815 Kuwaiti residents during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A non-random sample was recruited through the WhatsApp platform. The online survey contained sociodemographic information and 29 self-reported items rated on a Likert scale. In addition to demographic questions, online questionnaires included the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). Questions regarding violence and COVID-19 infection were included in the online survey. Results: Men, younger people, those who were single or divorced, students, and those with a lower level of education were more likely to report more instances of physical and verbal aggression, as well as hostility. Conclusions: To assist psychologically vulnerable individuals in overcoming the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to develop community-based strategies that are tailored to the specific conditions and cultural traditions of each country. Diverse strategies for mental health support programs administered by social workers and mental health professionals are required to reduce aggression and violence levels. Since this study is a cross-sectional survey conducted during the total lockdown, it is difficult to conclude that the lockdown provoked the escalation of the aggression.

Impact of COVID-19 partial lockdown on household activities in a sample of Kuwaiti and Saudi populations.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, partial lockdown has been used as a strict mechanism to constrain the spread of the disease. This study aims to investigate whether there are significant differences between socio-demographic variables and household and family activities before and during the partial lockdown in Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional method was used in this study. Online surveys were distributed via WhatsApp to a convenience non-probability sample of 728 participants. The survey contained socio-demographic information and a 22-item questionnaire of activities that participants practiced before and during the partial lockdown. An IBM SPSS (25.0) package was utilised to analyse the data. The study found that males and homemakers reported obvious changes for both house and family activities before and during the lockdown. Participants between 40 and 49 years old reported higher scores for family activities before the lockdown. Married participants reported higher scores for house and family activities during the lockdown. The outcomes of this study demonstrate that under certain circumstances in society, cultural gender activities may change due to various reasons such as health precaution regulations, prevention policies, and social isolation.

Social Workers' Knowledge and Ability in Crisis Intervention in Kuwait- A Case of COVID-19.

Summary: The main purpose of the current study was to assess whether there are significant differences among variables, such as social workers' familiarity with the crisis intervention model, receiving up-to-date information about the latest developments in COVID-19, having adequate information about what the symptoms of COVID-19 are, and willingness to work with COVID-19 patients, and social workers' ability to apply the crisis intervention model when they are working with clients and its three sub-scales (assessing and identifying the problem, establishing a relationship, and formulating an action plan). The cross-sectional survey method was used to conduct the sample of the study. The sample (N = 274) used in the study consisted of social workers in Kuwait.Findings: The results showed that CIS is valid and reliable and can be trusted to measure levels according to the purpose of the study. Analysis using T-test showed significant relationships between the CIS and study's variables at p < .05.Application: This study would help to raise the knowledge and awareness about the ability of social workers to apply the crisis intervention model during COVID-19 pandemic when they are working with clients and what variables may be associated with it.

Psychometric properties of the Illness Attitude Toward COVID-19 Scale (IATCS).

This study examines the psychometric properties of the Illness Attitude Toward COVID-19 Scale (IATCS). The IATCS was tested on a sample of individuals who were living in Kuwait during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 1413). The reliability and validity of the scale were examined to assess the scale's internal consistency reliability, criterion validity, and factorial validity. The results of the study showed alpha values that were satisfactory for the overall scale and for five subscales. The findings support the criterion and factorial validity of the scale. The findings also support the use of the scale in surveys and for educational and trainings purposes.

Precautionary Measures and Illness Attitudes toward COVID-19 among a Sample of the Kuwaiti Population.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, several strict measures have been recommended to prevent and control the spread of the virus worldwide. This study aims to examine the associations between precautionary health behaviors (eating vitamins, washing hands continuously, eating healthy food, putting on masks, wearing gloves, and maintaining a safe distance) and illness attitudes (worry about illness, concern about pain, hypochondriacal beliefs, thanatophobia, and treatment experience). An online questionnaire was distributed to 1,413 Kuwaiti participants using the convenience-sampling method via the WhatsApp application. The online survey collected data based on the Illness Attitude toward COVID-19 Scale (IATCS) and on demographics. The findings of the study show that there are significant associations between the illness attitudes of participants and the precautionary health behaviors they adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait. Illness attitudes toward COVID-19 significantly affect the health behaviors of individuals. The health behaviors become precautionary measures aimed at preventing infection from COVID-19.