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

Metwally, Tayseer M.; Aly, Hebatalla M.; Hefny, Mohamed A.; Hassan, Hend A.

doi:10.21608/jhiph.2023.323352

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

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez University, Suez, Egypt

² Department of Community and Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

³ Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

⁴ Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez University, Suez, Egypt

10.21608/jhiph.2023.323352

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 the
development of mental health disorders during the pandemic. In low- and middle-income countries,
infection control precautions, surveillance databases, laboratory capacity, and public health funds are
limited, 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 during
the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
Methods: A cross-sectional study using an e-survey distributed in May 2020 for the assessment of
sociodemographic and occupational data and a validated Arabic questionnaire to assess depression
by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and anxiety by the General Anxiety Disorder
questionnaire (GAD-7).
Results: Five hundred and eighty-nine participants were included in the study, with a mean age of
28.3 ± 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 anxiety
and 64.3% expressed moderate to severe depression. The study demonstrated that all participants
showed high frequencies of depression and anxiety regardless of variations in age, sex, educational
level, occupation, or chronic diseases.
Conclusion: Depression and anxiety rates during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown were higher
than before the pandemic, so identification, social support, and early intervention are very important
to prevent additional complications.

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