Prevalence, Demographic, and Clinical Correlates of Likely PTSD in Subscribers of Text4Hope during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Reham Shalaby, Medard K. Adu, Taelina Andreychuk, Ejemai Eboreime, April Gusnowski, Wesley Vuong, Shireen Surood, Andrew J. Greenshaw and Vincent I. O. Agyapong
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Reham Shalaby: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
Medard K. Adu: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
Taelina Andreychuk: Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Ejemai Eboreime: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
April Gusnowski: Alberta Health Services, Addiction & Mental Health, Edmonton, AB T5K 2J5, Canada
Wesley Vuong: Alberta Health Services, Addiction & Mental Health, Edmonton, AB T5K 2J5, Canada
Shireen Surood: Alberta Health Services, Addiction & Mental Health, Edmonton, AB T5K 2J5, Canada
Andrew J. Greenshaw: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
Vincent I. O. Agyapong: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, people may experience increased risk of adverse mental health, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: A survey measured stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms in Text4Hope subscribers using the Perceived Stress Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 Part 3, respectively. A Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were employed. Results: Most respondents were 41–60 years old (49.5%), Caucasian (83.3%), with post-secondary education (92.1%), employed (70.3%), married/cohabiting/partnered (64.9%), and homeowners (71.7%). Likely PTSD was reported in 46.8% of the respondents. Those who were afraid to contract the coronavirus had a history of depression before the pandemic, and those who received counselling during the pandemic exhibited a high prevalence of likely PTSD (OR (1.7 to 2.2)). Significant lower odds of likely PTSD were observed among subscribers who received absolute support from family/friends. Conclusions: This paper presents findings on the prevalence of likely PTSD and identified vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results support the proposal that public health advice should incorporate mental health wellness campaigns aiming to reduce the psychological impact of pandemics.

Keywords: PTSD; Text4Hope; family support; COVID-19; depression; stress; anxiety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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