Psychological responses to COVID-19 in a Mexican population: an exploratory study during second and third phases

Psychological Coping and Resilience to COVID-19 in Mexico, Evidence From a National Sample

Objective: We report the effect of COVID-19 confinement on some psychological variables associated with mental health: Stress perception, types of coping strategies during crises, and some components related to resilience. Method: A national sample of the Mexican population was considered in a total of 2775 people whose ages ranged from 15 years and older. Questionnaires that met the psychometric criteria (reliability and validity) to be used in Latino samples were used. Results: The results showed that older people experienced less stress and displayed more efficient coping behaviors. Discussion: Regarding the exploration of some components associated with resilience, it was found that family constitutes an important interpersonal resource for coping with the crisis related to confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the future, it is proposed to make comparisons of the psychological factors evaluated to detect and analyze possible fluctuations due to the prevalence of epidemic conditions.

Association between individual resilience and depression or anxiety among general adult population during COVID-19: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated depression and anxiety worldwide. Resilience is important to maintain mental health during uncertain times, but limited study has systematically reviewed its association with depression or anxiety with an emphasis on the general population.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and Embase for quantitative or mixed-methods studies on the general adult population published between 1 January 2020 and 31 April 2022 (PROSPERO ID: CRD 42022340935). National Institute of the Health quality assessment tools was used to assess the risk of bias. We qualitatively synthesized findings by outcome and study design.

RESULTS

A total of 2945 studies were screened and 35 studies were included in the narrative analysis (5 on depression, 9 on anxiety, and 21 on both). Overall, 21 studies identified statistically significant inverse associations between resilience and depression, while 24 studies found statistically significant inverse associations between resilience and anxiety. Eight studies reported no statistically significant relationships between resilience with depression or anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Resilience was found to be inversely associated with depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight the importance of resilience-enhancing intervention in migrating the global mental health burden from outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Gender-Based Analysis of the Association Between Mental Health, Sleep Quality, Aggression, and Physical Activity Among University Students During the COVID-19 Outbreak

COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, resulting in significant morbidity, mortality, and negative psychological effects among general population. However, university students are particularly vulnerable in terms of mental health. The present study evaluated the association between mental health, quality of sleep, aggression, and physical activity in university students in Mexico after 1 year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, including a gender-sensitive analysis. Participants (935 university students) completed an online questionnaire which collected information regarding demographic data, psychological distress (IES-R scale), depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21), aggressiveness Buss-Perry Aggressive Questionnaire, sleep quality (PSQI) and physical activity (IPAQ-S). Findings showed that female students showed significantly higher scores in psychological distress, anxiety, stress scores and sleep quality, as compared to male students. By contrast, male students showed significantly higher scores on aggressiveness than female students. In addition, on physical activity, females performed significantly higher MET-min/week on moderate and high levels. Finally, liner regression model accounted for approximately 73.5% of the variance in DASS-21 scores, with the body mass index, IES-R, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and IPAQ subscales, emerging as significant individual (positive) predictors. Therefore, the pandemic affected female and male students differently. Female students reported more psychological distress, anxiety, and stress while male students reported higher aggressiveness. The differences observed may be due to physiological differences, the response to stress, and differences in sensitivity to life events.

Global prevalence of low resilience among the general population and health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis

Objective

To estimate the global prevalence of low resilience among the general population and health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Embase, Ovid-MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, WHO COVID-19 databases, and grey literature were searched for studies from January 1, 2020, to August 22, 2022. Hoy's assessment tool was used to assess for risk of bias. Meta-analysis and moderator analysis was performed using the Generalized Linear Mixed Model with a corresponding 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) adopting the random-effect model in R software. Between-study heterogeneity was measured using I² and τ² statistics.

Results

Overall, 44 studies involving 51,119 participants were identified. The pooled prevalence of low resilience was 27.0 % (95 % CI: 21.0 %–33.0 %) with prevalence among the general population being 35.0 % (95 % CI: 28.0 %–42.0 %) followed by 23.0 % (95 % CI: 16.0 %–30.9 %) for health professionals. The 3-month trend analysis of the prevalence of low resilience beginning January 2020 to June 2021 revealed upward then downward patterns among overall populations. The prevalence of low resilience was higher in females, studied during the delta variant dominant period, frontline health professionals, and undergraduate degree education.

Limitations

Study outcomes showed high heterogeneity; however, sub-group and meta-regression analyses were conducted to identify potential moderating factors.

Conclusions

Globally, 1 out of 4 people among the general population and health professionals experienced low resilience due to COVID-19 adversity. The prevalence of low resilience was twice as much among the general population compared to health professionals. These findings provide information for policymakers and clinicians in the development and implementation of resilience-enhancing programs.

Effects of general and corona-specific stressors on mental burden during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic turned out to be a serious threat to mental and physical health. However, the relative contribution of corona-specific (DH_s) and general stressors (DH_g) on mental burden, and specific protective and risk factors for mental health are still not well understood. In a representative sample (N = 3,055) of the German adult population, mental health, potential risk, and protective factors as well as DH_s and DH_g exposure were assessed online during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (June and July 2020). The impact of these factors on mental health was analyzed using descriptive statistics, data visualizations, multiple regressions, and moderation analyses. The most burdensome DH_g were financial and sleeping problems, respectively, and DH_s corona-media reports and exclusion from recreational activities/important social events. 31 and 24% of total mental health was explained by DH_g and DH_s, respectively. Both predictors combined explained 36%, resulting in an increase in variance due to DH_s of only 5% (R² adjusted). Being female, older and a lower educational level were identified as general risk factors, somatic diseases as a corona-specific risk factor, and self-efficacy and locus of control (LOC) proved to be corona-specific protective factors. Further analyses showed that older age and being diagnosed with a somatic illness attenuated the positive influence of LOC, self-efficacy, and social support on resilience. Although the data showed that after the first easing restrictions, the stressor load was comparable to pre-pandemic data (with DH_s not making a significant contribution), different risk and protective factors could be identified for general and corona-specific stressors. In line with observations from network analysis from other groups, the positive impact of resilience factors was especially diminished in the most vulnerable groups (elderly and somatically ill). This highlights the need to especially target these vulnerable groups to foster their resilience in upcoming waves of the corona pandemic.

The Moderating Effect of Resilience on Mental Health Deterioration among COVID-19 Survivors in a Mexican Sample

Resilience has been reported to be a protective psychological variable of mental health; however, little is known about its role in COVID-19 survivors. Thus, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the levels of depression, anxiety, stress, traumatic impact, and resilience associated with COVID-19, as well as to investigate the role of resilience as a moderating variable. A sample of 253 participants responded to an online survey; all were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 by a nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR test, were older than 18 years, and signed an informed consent form. Significant negative correlations were found between resilience and the mental health variables. Higher resilience was significantly related to a lower impact of the event, stress, anxiety, and depression when the number of symptoms was low. Only when the duration of COVID-19 was short and resilience levels were medium or high was psychological distress reduced. Moreover, resilience moderated the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, even if a relapse occurred. The results emphasize the need for interdisciplinary interventions aimed at providing COVID-19 patients with psychological and social resources to cope with the disease, as well as with probable relapses.

Mental Health Problems Due to Social Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Mexican Population

Introduction: Social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been identified as a risk factor of several mental disorders. Therefore, the present work aimed to evaluate the effect of social isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of a Mexican population. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in individuals of 18 years of age and over. The questioner was structured to identify onset or worsening of psychiatric symptoms due to social isolation by COVID-19. The survey included changes in eating habits, changes in personal hygiene habits, the starting the use or increased the use of psychoactive substances, symptoms of depression or post-traumatic stress. Results: A total of 1,011 individuals were included in the analysis. The majority were women (68.84%). Changes in eating habits were reported in 38.51% of the participants, 67.80% reported having their physical self-perception distorted or having started a low-calorie diet. Regarding symptoms of depression, 46.10% participants indicated to have at least one depressive symptom, and 4.46% reported suicidal ideation during social isolation. Interestingly, 6.09% of individuals reported that they used to have depressive symptoms prior the COVID-19 pandemic and those symptoms decreased due to social isolation. Additionally, 2.27% of individuals presented symptoms of post-traumatic stress due to the possibility of getting COVID-19. Conclusions: In this work we identified how social isolation has impacted the mental health of the Mexican population. We observed that practically all the symptoms evaluated were affected during isolation, such as personal hygiene and eating habits. Depression and suicidal ideation were the ones that increased the most in the general population, while in individuals who had symptoms of depression before isolation, these symptoms decreased during social isolation.