The psychological effects of COVID-19 spread in young Canadian adults.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) not only threatens physical health but also psychological well-being. As a result of the pandemic, increased mental health burdens have been recorded in young adults around the world. We sought to understand the association of stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic with symptoms of psychological and emotional distress in young Canadian adults. METHOD: Questionnaire respondents were asked about the extent to which they were personally impacted by COVID-19, and symptoms related to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic disorder, and emotional distress. RESULTS: Of 84 respondents, most identified as female (74%; 62/84). Overall, 61% (51/84) reported experiencing symptoms of psychological distress related to depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); specifically, 43% (36/84) reported anxiety-related symptoms, 33% (28/84) reported depression-related symptoms, and 6% (5/84) reported PTSD-related symptoms. Individuals with family in settings high risk for COVID-19 infection and individuals who received government aid with a reduction in income were 4.30-fold and 2.80-fold more likely, respectively, to experience symptoms of psychological distress (95% CI 1.31-14.14; p = .013 and 95% CI 1.08-7.25; p = .038, respectively). Visits to social media daily to hourly for COVID-19 related news resulted in a 3.24-fold increase in the likelihood of experiencing depression-related symptoms (95% CI 1.26-8.35; p = .020). CONCLUSION: We demonstrate a necessity to focus on alleviating the mental health burdens and contributing stressors within young Canadian adults. Though the mental health burdens are currently exacerbated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, they may persist after the pandemic ends if left unaddressed.

Five-year blood pressure trends and regression-to-the-mean in an industrial population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine trends in blood pressure (BP) and assess the statistical phenomenon of regression to the mean we performed sequential examinations in an industrial population. METHODS: All the employees in an industrial plant were examined. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were measured using standardised techniques successively for 5 years as part of annual medical check-up of these employees. All the male employees (n=145) were targeted in the first year of which 122 (84.1%) were examined. These numbers declined to 121, 99, 90 and 87 in subsequent years respectively due to employee attrition. Trends in levels of systolic and diastolic BP and hypertension prevalence were examined using standard regression analysis, least-squares regression and graphic analyses using a commercially available statistical programme. RESULTS: The mean age 31.3 +/- 5.9 years (range 23-41). The mean height was 1.68 + 0.06 m, weight 60.0 + 9.1 kg and BMI 21.2 +/- 3.1 kg/m2. 18 subjects (14.8%) were overweight. From the first to the fifth year, respectively, BMI increased from 21.2 +/- 3.1 kg/m2 to 21.3 +/- 3.9, 21.9 +/- 3.0, 22.3 +/- 3.0 and 22.6 +/- 2.9 kg/m2 (r = 0.93, p = 0.011), systolic BP declined from 127.1 +/- 13.5 to 125.7 +/- 15.4, 125.5 +/- 12.9, 125.0 +/- 12.6 and 124.9 +/- 14.0 mm Hg (r = -0.60, p = 0.034) while diastolic BP remained unchanged (r = 0.15). Prevalence of hypertension (> or =140 / > or =90) declined from 34.4% at baseline to 28.9, 28.3, 24.4 and 24.1% respectively (r = -0.948, p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of hypertension in observed in this young industrial cohort. Without treatment, the hypertension prevalence as well as mean systolic BP decline over time demonstrating the statistical phenomenon of regression to the mean.