The residents’ mental health status and community’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic: a community-based cross-sectional study in China

BACKGROUND: The related research of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of community residents is still lacking. Here we reported the mental health status of Chinese residents as well as the community’s prevention and control during the pandemic period of COVID-19 and further explored the influencing factors of mental status. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods were adopted from February 16 to February 23, 2020, and Chinese community residents were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Three questionnaires, including General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and a self-designed “Community prevention and control questionnaire”, were used. A multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted to analyze the impact factors of anxiety and depression. RESULTS: A total of 3,001 community residents were included in this study. In total, 85.6% and 83.7% of participants had minimal anxiety and depression, respectively. Among all the community residents, 16.6% of participants proved that the communities they lived in had confirmed cases. 95.3% of participants reported that the residents were screened for mobility and contact history. 97.8% of participants reported the entrance and exit of the community were managed in their communities. There were 97.5% and 99% of participants needed to take body temperature and wear masks in their communities. Ninety-two percent (92%) of communities have their public areas and facilities disinfected daily, and 95.4% of communities have conducted health education about COVID-19. Factors including gender, education level, chronic illness, the frequency of going out, achieving information about COVID-19 by community and newspaper, and confirmed cases in the community, show association with community residents’ anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of Chinese residents have little anxiety and depression, and most communities have adopted standardized control measures following the government’s regulations and policy, which plays a vital role in the control of COVID-19 and improving residents’ anxiety and depression.