Epidemiol Health.  2022;44(1):e2022018. 10.4178/epih.e2022018.

Depression, anxiety, and stress in Korean general population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
  • 2Data Link & Operation Team, Cancer Data Center, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
  • 3Department of Psychiatry, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Korea
  • 4Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea
  • 5Chungcheongnam-do Mental Health Welfare Center, Hongseong, Korea

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of poor mental health in the general Korean population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
METHODS
This cross-sectional, population-based, online survey-based study was conducted from November 5 to 20, 2020 and included adults aged 20-49 years in Chungnam Province, Korea. A total of 549 adults were included.
RESULTS
In total, 18.8% of the participants had symptoms of depression, 10.6% had symptoms of anxiety, and 5.1% had a high level of perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher levels of stress (odds ratio [OR], 3.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13 to 8.67), anxiety (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.09 to 4.49), and depression (OR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.64 to 5.50) were found among never married, widowed, divorced, and separated people than among married/cohabiting/partnered participants. Participants who felt increased stress at home during the COVID-19 outbreak reported more depression (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.49 to 4.05) and anxiety (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.31 to 4.50). Women had higher risks of anxiety (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.09 to 3.58) and stress (OR, 6.40; 95% CI, 2.30 to 17.85) than men. Participants with the highest household income were less likely to report symptoms of stress than those with the lowest household income (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.96).
CONCLUSIONS
The participants in this study exhibited poor mental health index scores, suggesting that some people are at risk for mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being married was independently and significantly associated with a lower likelihood of depression, anxiety, and stress.

Keyword

COVID-19; Pandemics; Depression; Anxiety; Stress; Marital status
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