Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 During the First Nationwide Lockdown in Vietnam: Web-Based, Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong; Tien Nguyen Le Bao; Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen; Thanh Vo Van; Toi Phung Lam; Anh Pham Gia; Luerat Anuratpanich; Bay Vo Van

doi:10.2196/24776

Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 During the First Nationwide Lockdown in Vietnam: Web-Based, Cross-Sectional Survey Study

JMIR Form Res. 2020 Dec 15;4(12):e24776. doi: 10.2196/24776.

Authors

Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong^#¹, Tien Nguyen Le Bao^#², Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen^#³, Thanh Vo Van^{2

4}, Toi Phung Lam^{1

5}, Anh Pham Gia⁶, Luerat Anuratpanich³, Bay Vo Van⁷

Affiliations

¹ Mahidol University Health Technology Assessment (MUHTA) Graduate Program, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
² Institute of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Viet Duc Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
³ Social Economics and Administrative Pharmacy Program, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Surgery, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
⁵ Health Strategy and Policy Institute, Ministry of Health, Hanoi, Vietnam.
⁶ Oncology Department, Viet Duc Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
⁷ Department of Pharmacy, Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 33284778
PMCID: PMC7935248
DOI: 10.2196/24776

Abstract

Background: The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam.

Methods: We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis.

Results: A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged <18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor's expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=-7.84, 95% CI -14.58 to -1.11).

Conclusions: The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts.

Keywords: COVID-19; Vietnam; anxiety; depression; distress; lockdown; mental health; psychological distress; psychology; survey.

©Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong, Tien Nguyen Le Bao, Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen, Thanh Vo Van, Toi Phung Lam, Anh Pham Gia, Luerat Anuratpanich, Bay Vo Van. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (http://formative.jmir.org), 15.12.2020.