Trends in prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms and effects of sociodemographic variables before and after the first wave of COVID-19 in Qatar
![Thumbnail](/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10576/50491/1-s2.0-S0165032722003561-main.pdf.jpg?sequence=3&isAllowed=y)
View/ Open
Publisher version (Check access options)
Check access options
Date
2022Author
Khaled, Salma M.Davis, Veena
Amro, Iman
Ali, Amal A.M.
Woodruff, Peter W.
Haddad, Peter M.
...show more authors ...show less authors
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Background
Prevalence trends from Arabic speaking countries on psychiatric symptoms before and after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking. We estimated the point prevalence and change in depression and anxiety symptoms scores in relation to sociodemographic variables following the resolution of the first wave in Qatar compared with before the pandemic.
Methods
We conducted a trend analysis using repeated nationally representative cross-sectional surveys spanning 2017, 2018, 2020/2021 and using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. Negative binomial regression was used to model changes in these symptoms in relation sociodemographics and survey year.
Results
The two-week prevalence of depressive symptoms (≥10 on the PHQ-9) was 6.6% in 2017 and 6.5% in 2020/2021 (p = 0.986). The two-week prevalence of anxiety symptoms (≥10 on the GAD-7) was 3.6% in 2018 and 5.1% in 2020/2021 (p = 0.062). The data for 2020/21 showed a 35.1% and 29.2% decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms scores compared to pre-pandemic years (2017/2018) after adjusting for sociodemographic factors.
Limitations
Screening tools rather than structured interviews were used to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms
Conclusions
The prevalence of depression and anxiety after the first COVID wave did not differ significantly to pre-pandemic estimates. The end of the first wave of the pandemic weakened the associations of these symptoms with traditional sociodemographic risk factors. The 2020/21 depression and anxiety symptoms scores remained high for Qataris and Arabs, suggesting that these cultural groups may benefit most from public mental health interventions.
Collections
- COVID-19 Research [798 items ]
- Medicine Research [1379 items ]
- Public Health [401 items ]
- Social & Economic Survey Research Institute Research [275 items ]