Depression, stress, anxiety among jordanian people during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey-based study

Sawsan Abuhammad; Omar F Khabour; Mahmoud A Alomari; Karem H Alzoubi

doi:10.1016/j.imu.2022.100936

Depression, stress, anxiety among jordanian people during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey-based study

Inform Med Unlocked. 2022:30:100936. doi: 10.1016/j.imu.2022.100936. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Authors

Sawsan Abuhammad¹, Omar F Khabour², Mahmoud A Alomari³, Karem H Alzoubi^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Maternal and Child Health, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.
² Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.
³ Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
⁵ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic is associated with negative impacts on mental health. The study investigated mental health measures that include depression, stress, and anxiety, and their correlation with gender and age among Jordanians in the COVID-19 era. This investigation adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive design and included 1587 subjects recruited through a convenient sampling approach. Jordanians (≥18 years old) were recruited in the study. The total DASS score of the whole sample was 32.7 ± 0.67. The DASS scale showed significantly high scores for stress, anxiety, and depression in the groups that perceived a moderate-high probability of infection with COVID-19 (P < 0.05). The stress score was greater (P < 0.001) in the men (11.39 ± 0.469) compared to the women (10.74 ± 0.33). On the other hand, anxiety and depression scores were higher in women than men (8.13 ± 0.25, and 12.71 ± 0.30 respectively). Finally, DASS total score significantly decreased with the increasing age of the participants (P < 0.001). Many Jordanians experienced moderate to severe depression, stress, and anxiety during the COVID-19 era. Such experience was associated with the sex and age of subjects. The results of this study will benefit decision-makers in establishing a plan to prevent the consequences of these mental disorders during pandemics.

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Jordan; Pandemic; Stress.