Factors associated with hopelessness, depression and anxiety in the Honduran-Central America population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Eleonora Espinoza-Turcios; René Mauricio Gonzales-Romero; Carlos Sosa-Mendoza; Manuel Sierra-Santos; Henry Noel Castro-Ramos; Lysien Ivania Zambrano; José Armada; Christian R Mejía

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1116881

Factors associated with hopelessness, depression and anxiety in the Honduran-Central America population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Front Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 1:14:1116881. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1116881. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Eleonora Espinoza-Turcios¹, René Mauricio Gonzales-Romero¹, Carlos Sosa-Mendoza², Manuel Sierra-Santos¹, Henry Noel Castro-Ramos¹, Lysien Ivania Zambrano¹, José Armada³, Christian R Mejía⁴

Affiliations

¹ Scientific Research Unit (UIC), Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM), Institute for Research in Medical Sciences and Right to Health (ICIMEDES), National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
² Honduran Institute for the Prevention of Alcoholism, Drug Addiction and Drug Dependency (IHADFA), Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
³ Faculty of Business Sciences, Universidad Continental, Huancayo, Peru.
⁴ Translational Medicine Research Centre, Universidad Norbert Wiener, Lima, Peru.

Abstract

Introduction: The mental health of the population has been affected by COVID-19, reporting in many populations higher levels of depressive, anxious and stress symptoms, however, in Honduras there are no studies showing the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the population.

Aim: To determine the factors associated with hopelessness, depression and anxiety in times of COVID-19 in the Honduran population.

Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study. Three scales were used, Beck for hopelessness, Hamilton for depression and anxiety, through interviews with the population attending different levels of health care throughout the country. Descriptive and analytical statistics were obtained. For hopelessness, the Beck Hopelessness Scale was used; for depression and anxiety, the Hamilton Scale was used.

Results: Of the 8,125 participants, the population in general showed results of hopelessness 14.9%, depression 12.9% and anxiety 1.2%, there was less hopelessness among women (p = 0.004), university students (p < 0.001), but greater among those who had a family member deceased by COVID-19 (p < 0.001), among those who had diabetes mellitus (DM) (p < 0.001), history of mental illness (p < 0.001) or had consumed drugs in the last 6 months (p < 0.001). There was more depression among those with arterial hypertension (p = 0.002), obesity (p = 0.019), DM (p = 0.004), history of mental illness (p < 0.001) or had consumed drugs in the last 6 months (p < 0.001). There was more anxiety among those infected with COVID-19 (p = 0.023), according to having a family member deceased by COVID-19 (p = 0.045) and in those with a history of mental illness (p < 0.001).

Discussion: The Honduran population presented important differences in the socio-pathological, according to the loss of family members or having previous illnesses, this according to the presentation of problems in the mental sphere.

Conclusion: We found factors associated with hopelessness, we found factors associated with hopelessness, depression and anxiety in times of COVID-19 in the Honduran population.

Keywords: Central America; Honduras; anxiety; depression; hopelessness; mental health.