TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of COVID-19 on mental health and quality of life
T2 - Is there any effect? A crosssectional study of the MENA region
AU - Al Dhaheri, Ayesha S.
AU - Bataineh, Mo'Ath F.
AU - Mohamad, Maysm N.
AU - Ajab, Abir
AU - Al Marzouqi, Amina
AU - Jarrar, Amjad H.
AU - Habib-Mourad, Carla
AU - Jamous, Dima O.Abu
AU - Ali, Habiba I.
AU - Al Sabbah, Haleama
AU - Hasan, Hayder
AU - Stojanovska, Lily
AU - Hashim, Mona
AU - Elhameed, Osama A.Abd
AU - Obaid, Reyad R.Shaker
AU - ElFeky, Samar
AU - Saleh, Sheima T.
AU - Osaili, Tareq M.
AU - Ismail, Leila Cheikh
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Al Dhaheri et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the pandemic on mental health and quality of life among the general population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A total of 6142 adults from eighteen countries within the MENA region completed an online questionnaire between May and June 2020. Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the social and family support impact was assessed with questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). The IES-R mean score was 29.3 (SD = 14.8), corresponding to mild stressful impact with 30.9% reporting severe psychological impact. Most participants (45%-62%) felt horrified, apprehensive, or helpless due to COVID-19. Furthermore, over 40% reported increased stress from work and financial matters. Higher IES-R scores were found among females, participants aged 26-35 years, those with lower educational level, and participants residing in the North Africa region (p<0.005). About 42% reported receiving increased support from family members, 40.5% were paying more attention to their mental health, and over 40% reported spending more time resting since the pandemic started. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mild psychological impact while it also encouraged some positive impact on family support and mental health awareness among adults in the MENA region. Clinical interventions targeted towards vulnerable groups such as females and younger adults are needed.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the pandemic on mental health and quality of life among the general population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A total of 6142 adults from eighteen countries within the MENA region completed an online questionnaire between May and June 2020. Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the social and family support impact was assessed with questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). The IES-R mean score was 29.3 (SD = 14.8), corresponding to mild stressful impact with 30.9% reporting severe psychological impact. Most participants (45%-62%) felt horrified, apprehensive, or helpless due to COVID-19. Furthermore, over 40% reported increased stress from work and financial matters. Higher IES-R scores were found among females, participants aged 26-35 years, those with lower educational level, and participants residing in the North Africa region (p<0.005). About 42% reported receiving increased support from family members, 40.5% were paying more attention to their mental health, and over 40% reported spending more time resting since the pandemic started. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mild psychological impact while it also encouraged some positive impact on family support and mental health awareness among adults in the MENA region. Clinical interventions targeted towards vulnerable groups such as females and younger adults are needed.
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U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0249107
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0249107
M3 - Article
C2 - 33765015
AN - SCOPUS:85103279989
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 16
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 3 March
M1 - e0249107
ER -