Depression and anxiety symptoms to COVID-19 outbreak among the public, medical staff and patients during the initial phase of the pandemic: an online questionnaire survey by a WeChat Mini Program

OBJECTIVES: To survey anxiety and depression symptoms to COVID-19 outbreak in the public, medical staff and patients during the initial phase of the pandemic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional online survey administered through WeChat Mini Program using Chinese versions of Zung Self-rating Depression Scale and Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale. SETTING: Guangzhou, China. PARTICIPANTS: 47 378 public, 1512 medical staff and 125 patients with COVID-19. RESULTS: Higher rates of depression (47.8%) and anxiety symptoms (48.7%) were shown by patients who were screened positive compared with those of the public (35.6%, 25.7%) or medical staff (15.4%, 13.3%). The professional identity of a nurse, conditions of ‘with an infected family member’ and ‘working at the frontline’ were risk factors to depression or anxiety symptoms for the medical staff. Younger age, lower educational level, female and not having adequate masks were the risk factors for the public. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 outbreak increased people’s depression or anxiety emotion responses, which varied extensively among the patients, public and medical staff.