Open AccessSymptoms of Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States
Author(s) -
Chukwuemeka N. Okafor,
Matthew Asare,
Karla J. Bautista,
Ijeoma Opara
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-4511
pISSN - 1090-0500
DOI - 10.47779/ajhs.2021.638
Subject(s) - odds , feeling , distress , psychosocial , depression (economics) , anxiety , pandemic , mental health , psychiatry , covid-19 , psychological intervention , medicine , unemployment , odds ratio , clinical psychology , psychology , demography , logistic regression , social psychology , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , macroeconomics , economic growth , sociology
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in the United States can negatively impact physical and mental health. Participants were asked about psychosocial factors associated with experiencing symptoms of distress via surveys distributed on Social Media. Results showed that younger age, unemployment/losing wages/job, worse perceived general health (compared to excellent health) and recent smoking were consistently associated with increased odds of feelings of depression and anxiety. Further, females (aOR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.24, 3.11) was associated with increased odds of feelings of depression. Findings reinforce a call for widespread, targeted prevention and treatment interventions for particular groups.