The psychological impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the population of Bahrain

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis that is considered a stressful event directly and indirectly (via prophylactic measures taken) for people in any society. It can have an impact on mental health resulting in a plethora of symptoms. METHOD: This study measures the psychological impact, demonstrated by the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. An online semi-structured questionnaire was used for all participants, and with the measure The Arabic version of The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale -21 (DASS-21). The study design was cross-sectional and was conducted in April-May 2020. The sample was (n=1115) from Bahrain’s population, (1081 Bahraini and 33 non-Bahraini), aged 18 and above, 701 females, most of them were graduates and employed. RESULTS: showed 30% were with depressive symptoms, 18.2% have exhibited anxiety symptoms, and 30.8% reported stress symptoms. Females were higher than males in depressive and anxiety symptoms. While no gender differences in stress symptoms. The younger age group showed more distress across the board with symptoms reported decreasing with age. Students were also noticed to be the group reporting the highest symptoms, together with people with the lowest income. Conclusion: The study has demonstrated a high psychological impact on the population of Bahrain with around a third of the population demonstrating some level of distress. (www.actabiomedica.it)