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COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Status of Saudi Citizens Living Abroad

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis associated with unprecedented levels of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has been suggested to contribute to a great burden on global mental health. We assumed that individuals in quarantine outside their home countr...

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Autores principales: Behisi, Marwah Ahmed, Altaweel, Hussain M., Gassas, Reham F., Aldehaiman, Mansour, Alkhamees, Abdulmajeed A.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8345390/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34360149
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157857
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author Behisi, Marwah Ahmed
Altaweel, Hussain M.
Gassas, Reham F.
Aldehaiman, Mansour
Alkhamees, Abdulmajeed A.
author_facet Behisi, Marwah Ahmed
Altaweel, Hussain M.
Gassas, Reham F.
Aldehaiman, Mansour
Alkhamees, Abdulmajeed A.
author_sort Behisi, Marwah Ahmed
collection PubMed
description Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis associated with unprecedented levels of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has been suggested to contribute to a great burden on global mental health. We assumed that individuals in quarantine outside their home country would be more vulnerable to developing mental health disorders during the current pandemic and might face difficulties in accessing mental health services. Aim: To explore the degree of association between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health status of Saudi citizens living abroad. Objectives: (1) To measure the prevalence and risk factors of mental health problems among Saudi citizens studying and living abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) to assess the correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health status of Saudi citizens living abroad; and (3) to explore the level of anxiety/depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from August 2020 to September 2020 using a self-administrated questionnaire composed of sociodemographic, (GAD-7) and (PHQ-9) scales. Results: A total of 64% of participants experienced psychiatric symptoms during the pandemic, and 34% and 30% met the diagnostic criteria for symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. The risk of psychological symptoms was more likely experienced by females, young, single, or divorced, or those who were living alone. In addition, those who lived in the UK and Ireland were more likely to develop depressive and anxiety symptoms. More than 80% appreciated the response of the Saudi government and embassy to meet the MH needs of students undergoing quarantine abroad and in Saudi Arabia. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented threat to global mental health. Two-thirds of study participants who were in foreign countries during the COVID-19 pandemic reported anxiety or depressive symptoms. Living away from family and friends was significantly associated with increased loneliness and psychological distress. These and other findings highlight the need to remove barriers preventing easily accessible online mental health services, social and family support, and timely provision of resources.
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spelling pubmed-83453902021-08-07 COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Status of Saudi Citizens Living Abroad Behisi, Marwah Ahmed Altaweel, Hussain M. Gassas, Reham F. Aldehaiman, Mansour Alkhamees, Abdulmajeed A. Int J Environ Res Public Health Article Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis associated with unprecedented levels of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has been suggested to contribute to a great burden on global mental health. We assumed that individuals in quarantine outside their home country would be more vulnerable to developing mental health disorders during the current pandemic and might face difficulties in accessing mental health services. Aim: To explore the degree of association between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health status of Saudi citizens living abroad. Objectives: (1) To measure the prevalence and risk factors of mental health problems among Saudi citizens studying and living abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) to assess the correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health status of Saudi citizens living abroad; and (3) to explore the level of anxiety/depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from August 2020 to September 2020 using a self-administrated questionnaire composed of sociodemographic, (GAD-7) and (PHQ-9) scales. Results: A total of 64% of participants experienced psychiatric symptoms during the pandemic, and 34% and 30% met the diagnostic criteria for symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. The risk of psychological symptoms was more likely experienced by females, young, single, or divorced, or those who were living alone. In addition, those who lived in the UK and Ireland were more likely to develop depressive and anxiety symptoms. More than 80% appreciated the response of the Saudi government and embassy to meet the MH needs of students undergoing quarantine abroad and in Saudi Arabia. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented threat to global mental health. Two-thirds of study participants who were in foreign countries during the COVID-19 pandemic reported anxiety or depressive symptoms. Living away from family and friends was significantly associated with increased loneliness and psychological distress. These and other findings highlight the need to remove barriers preventing easily accessible online mental health services, social and family support, and timely provision of resources. MDPI 2021-07-25 /pmc/articles/PMC8345390/ /pubmed/34360149 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157857 Text en © 2021 by the authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Behisi, Marwah Ahmed
Altaweel, Hussain M.
Gassas, Reham F.
Aldehaiman, Mansour
Alkhamees, Abdulmajeed A.
COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Status of Saudi Citizens Living Abroad
title COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Status of Saudi Citizens Living Abroad
title_full COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Status of Saudi Citizens Living Abroad
title_fullStr COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Status of Saudi Citizens Living Abroad
title_full_unstemmed COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Status of Saudi Citizens Living Abroad
title_short COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Status of Saudi Citizens Living Abroad
title_sort covid-19 pandemic and mental health status of saudi citizens living abroad
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8345390/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34360149
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157857
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