Anxiety among the General Population of Himalayan District during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent measures taken by the government to control the situation have imposed adverse impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of the general population. We conducted a study to determine the prevalence of anxiety among general population of a Himalayan district during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in rural communities of the Himalayan district during the early stage of the pandemic using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Data was collected for a period of one month from 13(th) April 2020 to 13(th) May 2020. Ethical approval was sought from the Institutional Review Committee of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (Reference number: 2076/2077/07). All the participants of age 18 or above were included in the study excluding those with known mental illness. Convenience sampling method was used. A total of 427 participants were included in the study. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. Point estimate at 95% confidence interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of anxiety was 196 (45.9%) (41.15-50.64 at 95% Confidence Interval). Anxiety was more prevalent among farmers, illiterate, widowed, and old aged. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates a higher prevalence of anxiety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic compared to reported studies and highlights the need for a strategic intervention to promote awareness and wellbeing at mental health level.