TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased stressful impact among general population in mainland China amid the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - A nationwide cross-sectional study conducted after Wuhan city’s travel ban was lifted
AU - Ma, Zheng Feei
AU - Zhang, Yutong
AU - Luo, Xiaoqin
AU - Li, Xinli
AU - Li, Yeshan
AU - Liu, Shuchang
AU - Zhang, Yingfei
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2020.
PY - 2020/12/1
Y1 - 2020/12/1
N2 - Objectives: Our study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological responses and lifestyle changes among the general population in mainland China following the re-opening of the Wuhan city. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in April 2020. Participants of Chinese nationality aged ⩾ 18 years were asked to complete a modified validated Chinese version of a questionnaire regarding the impact of event scale (IES), family and social support, mental health–related lifestyle changes, and indicators of negative mental health impacts. Results: A total of 728 participants (i.e., 217 males and 511 females) completed the questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 32.9 ± 10.4 years, with a majority of them (92.2%) having a higher educational qualification level. The overall mean IES in participants was 21.5 ± 7.0, reflecting mild stressful impact (i.e., following the re-opening of the Wuhan city); 25.5% of the participants had an IES score ⩾ 26. Being females and married were significantly associated with a higher mean IES score. The overall mean scores for intrusion and avoidance score scales in participants were 9.4 ± 3.7 and 12.1 ± 4.2, respectively. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased stressful impact in our participants following the re-opening of the Wuhan city when compared with our previous study, which should not be taken lightly.
AB - Objectives: Our study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological responses and lifestyle changes among the general population in mainland China following the re-opening of the Wuhan city. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in April 2020. Participants of Chinese nationality aged ⩾ 18 years were asked to complete a modified validated Chinese version of a questionnaire regarding the impact of event scale (IES), family and social support, mental health–related lifestyle changes, and indicators of negative mental health impacts. Results: A total of 728 participants (i.e., 217 males and 511 females) completed the questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 32.9 ± 10.4 years, with a majority of them (92.2%) having a higher educational qualification level. The overall mean IES in participants was 21.5 ± 7.0, reflecting mild stressful impact (i.e., following the re-opening of the Wuhan city); 25.5% of the participants had an IES score ⩾ 26. Being females and married were significantly associated with a higher mean IES score. The overall mean scores for intrusion and avoidance score scales in participants were 9.4 ± 3.7 and 12.1 ± 4.2, respectively. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased stressful impact in our participants following the re-opening of the Wuhan city when compared with our previous study, which should not be taken lightly.
KW - COVID-19
KW - China
KW - Coronavirus
KW - lifestyle changes
KW - mental health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086773040&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0020764020935489
DO - 10.1177/0020764020935489
M3 - Article
C2 - 32564637
AN - SCOPUS:85086773040
SN - 0020-7640
VL - 66
SP - 770
EP - 779
JO - International Journal of Social Psychiatry
JF - International Journal of Social Psychiatry
IS - 8
ER -