One in three adults experienced COVID-19-related psychological distress. These were the findings of a research team led by clinician-scientist Professor Tazeen H Jafar from the Health Services and Systems Research Programme at Duke-NUS. First published in PLOS ONE on 28 December 2020, the team’s findings focused on gender, age, residential area and socioeconomic status.
Those at higher risk of COVID-19 infection, such as suspected or confirmed cases, people with a history of underlying chronic medical or mental health conditions as well as those in hard-hit areas, were understandably more prone to psychological distress.
But the study also revealed that younger people, mainly those below the age of 25, had higher odds of feeling distressed because this was most likely their first experience of an outbreak and they had greater exposure to media dispensing COVID-19 updates including information from unreliable sources.
Other groups that were particularly vulnerable included women and people in lower socioeconomic strata, particularly those with lower income and fewer years of education. They were prone to anticipate bearing financially disastrous medical expenses and loss of income. Rural dwellers also faced greater anxiety compared with urbanites due to their poorer healthcare infrastructure as well as less-developed economic, sanitary and educational resources.
“Understanding these factors is crucial for designing preventive programmes and mental health resource planning during the rapidly evolving COVID-19 outbreak,” explained Jafar at the time.
The findings were the result of a meta-analysis of 68 studies conducted during the pandemic, encompassing 288,830 participants from 19 countries. Here, the team systematically reviewed factors associated with psychological distress among the predominantly general population. This contrasted with the majority of other research studies, which were largely centred on the mental health of healthcare workers.
The report, Jafar hoped would help policymakers identify the urban-rural, socioeconomic and gender disparities in COVID-19-related psychological distress and ensure equitable healthcare across population segments.