Prevalence and factors associated with depression and anxiety among COVID-19 survivors in Dhaka city

Md Golam Kibria; Russell Kabir; Ummay Salma Rahman; Shakil Ahmed; Sm Sayadat Amin; Md Mahbubur Rahman; Sm Yasir Arafat

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1280245

Prevalence and factors associated with depression and anxiety among COVID-19 survivors in Dhaka city

Front Psychiatry. 2024 Jan 23:15:1280245. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1280245. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Md Golam Kibria¹, Russell Kabir^{1

2}, Ummay Salma Rahman^{1

3}, Shakil Ahmed⁴, Sm Sayadat Amin⁵, Md Mahbubur Rahman⁶, Sm Yasir Arafat^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Research, Centre for Development Action, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
² School of Allied Health, Anglia Ruskin University, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, United Kingdom.
³ Upstream Lab, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, ON, Canada.
⁴ Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Research and Publication, Bangladesh Medical Research Council, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁶ Department of Health, Noora Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, Enam Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health concern. Evidence shows that depression and anxiety are common among patients with COVID-19 after recovery. About one-third of the total COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh have been reported in Dhaka city. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among COVID-19 survivors in Dhaka city as well as to identify the factors associated with these mental health conditions.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among a total of 384 COVID-19 survivors aged 18 years or older. Data collection was done through face-to-face and telephone interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scales were used to assess depression and anxiety, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of depression and anxiety among patients recovered from COVID-19.

Results: The overall prevalence of depression and anxiety was 26.0% and 23.2%, respectively among COVID-19 survivors. The respondents who were ≥60 years were 2.62 and 3.02 times more likely to report depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively than those aged 18 to 39 years. Hospitalised patients recovered from COVID-19 had a 2.18 times higher chance of developing anxiety than their non-hospitalised counterparts. COVID-19 recovered patients with comorbidities were at 3.35 and 2.97 times higher risk of depression and anxiety, respectively compared to those without comorbidities. Similarly, the respondents who had already passed a period of 15 days to 3 months after recovery showed 3.06 and 1.85 times higher odds of depression and anxiety, respectively than those who had already passed a period of above 3 to 6 months after recovery.

Conclusion: The study reported a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among COVID-19 survivors living in Dhaka city. The findings suggest the need for appropriate interventions to reduce mental health complications in COVID-19 survivors.

Keywords: COVID-19 survivors; Dhaka city; anxiety; depression; prevalence.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was funded by the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC), Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Bangladesh. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and data analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.