Depression and Functioning during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adults across Tunisia

Jessica E. Lambert (), Fatma Charfi, Uta Ouali, Amina Aissa and Joop de Jong
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Jessica E. Lambert: DIGNITY, Danish Institute against Torture, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Fatma Charfi: Department of Child Psychiatry, Mongi Slim Hospital, La Marsa 8030, Tunisia
Uta Ouali: Razi Hospital La Manouba, Manouba 2010, Tunisia
Amina Aissa: Razi Hospital La Manouba, Manouba 2010, Tunisia
Joop de Jong: Amsterdam University Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: We aimed to understand how risk (trauma history, health problems, financial problems, family problems) and protective (friend support, family support) factors influenced daily functioning (e.g., self-care, mobility, social participation) among Tunisian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, directly and through their impact on depression, with a focus on gender differences. We recruited a representative sample of 2014 participants (1024 males, 990 females) using random digit dialing of mobile phone numbers across all 24 governorates in Tunisia. Females reported higher depression, greater impaired functioning, and a higher likelihood of having had COVID-19. Path analysis showed a good fit to the model when paths for males and females were allowed to vary, providing evidence for gender differences. Associations between trauma exposure and depression and depression and age with functioning were stronger among females. Social support from friends was a protective factor for males only. For males, all study variables were associated with functioning indirectly through their association with depression, except for support from friends. For females, family responsibilities and health problems had both direct and indirect effects, whereas other study variables were only linked with functioning through depression. Findings provide insights into factors that can be targeted in interventions aimed at reducing depression and improving daily functioning for males and females.

Keywords: depression; Tunisia; COVID-19 pandemic; gender differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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