Consequences of COVID-19 pandemics on the mental well-being of general population of Pakistan

BACKGROUND: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the epicenter is facing transcending psychiatric problems. To assess the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of the community of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan), a cross-sectional study design was used to find out depression and anxiety after the first wave of the pandemic. A total of 320 willing individuals participated in the study. Convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data. Demographic information along with a semi-structured interview, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Impact of Life Event Scale-Revised, and Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale were used as measures. The participants of this study were bifurcated into affected (n = 151) and none affected (n = 169) on the basis of the impact of life event cut-off scores. RESULTS: Data analysis was carried out using t-test and simple linear regression analysis. Results of t-test showed that the pandemic-affected individuals (47%) reported significantly high on the depression and anxiety scores. The verdicts from simple linear regression analysis further demonstrate a history of psychiatric illness, duration of quarantine, and impact of event predicting depression (R(2) = .15, p < .001). For anxiety history of psychiatric illness, the impact of life events were significant predictors (R(2) = .28, p < .001) whereas the duration of quarantine, death due to COVID-19, and Impact of Event Scale predicted the center of epidemiological studies for depression (R(2) .48, p < .001). The finding of the research study concluded that 47% participated individuals were affected due to the pandemic COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of the study further exhibits that history of previous psychiatric illness, impact of life events, death due to COVID-19, and duration of quarantine are significant predictors of depression and anxiety.