Mental Health in the Era of the Second Wave of SARS-CoV-2: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on an Online Survey among Online Respondents in Poland

Mateusz Babicki, Ilona Szewczykowska and Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas
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Mateusz Babicki: Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-141 Wroclaw, Poland
Ilona Szewczykowska: Intensive Care Unit, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska Street 213, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas: Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-141 Wroclaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: The main objective of this study was to assess mental health during the COVID-19 second wave. The study was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire that had been provided via the Internet to online respondents in Poland. The questionnaire questions included a socio-geographic assessment, proprietary questions assessing the respondents’ current approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a standardised psychometric tool—GHQ-28. The study involved 2155 respondents, 99.8% of whom gave their consent for the participation in the study. A mean GHQ score was 29.25 ± 14.94 points. The criterion for minor mental disorders (?24 points) was met by 1272 (59.2%) respondents. In overall interpretation as well as in each of GHQ-28 subscales, women obtained significantly higher scores than men ( p < 0.001). The restriction on earning opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly associated with the feeling of anxiety/insomnia severity among the respondents (9.96 vs. 8.82 points; p < 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic, although it has already been experienced for nearly a year, has had a significant association with the general mental health of the respondents in Poland. There is a strong need to implement special programs that offer psychological support in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for those who had direct experience with COVID-19 infection.

Keywords: mental health; second wave of pandemic; COVID-19; GHQ-28; 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 (7)

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