Anxiety and Depression Among Egyptians During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a multiplicity of pressures.Experiencing lockdown, self-isolation, and the loss of beloved ones are the main risk factors for thedevelopment of mental health disorders during the pandemic. In low- and middle-income countries,infection control precautions, surveillance databases, laboratory capacity, and public health funds arelimited, so the psychological influences of the pandemic on the public can be even worse.Objective(s): This study was conducted to assess anxiety and depression among Egyptians duringthe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.Methods: A cross-sectional study using an e-survey distributed in May 2020 for the assessment ofsociodemographic and occupational data and a validated Arabic questionnaire to assess depressionby the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and anxiety by the General Anxiety Disorderquestionnaire (GAD-7).Results: Five hundred and eighty-nine participants were included in the study, with a mean age of28.3 ± 11.2 years. About 43.6% of the sample resided in the Suez Canal region, and about 58.6%were university students. Among the study population, 46.5% expressed moderate to severe anxietyand 64.3% expressed moderate to severe depression. The study demonstrated that all participantsshowed high frequencies of depression and anxiety regardless of variations in age, sex, educationallevel, occupation, or chronic diseases.Conclusion: Depression and anxiety rates during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown were higherthan before the pandemic, so identification, social support, and early intervention are very importantto prevent additional complications.