The Impact of the Successive Outbreaks of COVID-19, Vaccination, and Physical Activity on Mental Health in the Argentine Population: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

被引:0
作者
Barbuzza, Alejo Ramiro [1 ,2 ]
Ballarini, Fabricio [1 ,2 ]
Goyeneche, Celina [1 ,2 ]
Reppucci, Victoria [1 ,2 ]
Benedetti, Pedro [1 ]
Moscato, Franco [1 ]
Medina, Jorge H. [1 ,2 ]
Katche, Cynthia [1 ]
Moncada, Diego [3 ]
Viola, Haydee [1 ,2 ]
机构
[1] Technol Inst Buenos Aires ITBA, Dept Life Sci, Buenos Aires, Argentina
[2] Univ Buenos Aires, Inst Cell Biol & Neurosci Prof E Robertis IBCN, Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn UBA CONICET, Fac Med, Buenos Aires, Argentina
[3] Inst Cell Biol & Neurosci Prof E Robertis IBCN, Lab Memory Neurophysiol, Buenos Aires, Argentina
关键词
physical activity; vaccines; argentine population; depression; generalized anxiety disorder; GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER; VALIDATION; QUARANTINE; PHQ-9;
D O I
10.7759/cureus.54932
中图分类号
R5 [内科学];
学科分类号
1002 ; 100201 ;
摘要
Background and objectives A controversy regarding the duration of generalized anxiety disorders (GAD) and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic arose, stating that these symptoms last a short time, perhaps a few months, or that they are more persistent over time. After more than three years of the pandemic, this is still a question that requires an answer. The main goal of this work was to record the levels of self-perceived GAD and depression in the Argentine population at several time points during the pandemic to characterize whether they were transient or persisted over the successive waves of contagion. Furthermore, we studied the association between anti-COVID-19 vaccination and the high frequency of physical activity with GAD and depression levels to evaluate a possible protective role of these factors on mental health. Methods We used a descriptive and correlational research design. We carried out a repeated cross-sectional study performing seven online surveys (collection period: four to 15 days) at different time points in October 2020, May, August, October, and December 2021, and February and April 2022. The participants (24,308) were recruited through Instagram campaigns performed by renowned local scientific communicators and responded to the survey through Google Forms (Google, Mountain View, CA). Generalized anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The respondents reported their symptoms using a four-point Likert scale, which led us to calculate the scores and also the prevalence (% of the population with moderate to severe symptoms) for GAD and depression and the frequency they performed physical activity per week. Data were statistically analyzed using the unpaired Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-squared, Spearman correlation, or Tukey's post hoc test after two-way ANOVA. Results Our results show that the highest prevalence for GAD and depression correspond to those of the second wave of infections (May 2021: 57.3% and 54.19%, respectively) and that the lower levels were reported by the end of the third wave (April 2022: 43.21% and 43.65%, respectively). Such levels were even lower than those reported during the first wave at the beginning of our study (October 2020: 45.94% and 48.92%, respectively). In other words, even though the third wave tripled the number of people infected with respect to the second one, its effects on mental health were attenuated. The increment in the vaccine doses inoculated between the last two waves of contagion was associated with a decrease in the GAD score (mean +/- SEM: 10.75 +/- 0.06 vs. 8.88 +/- 0.13) and the depressive symptoms (mean +/- SEM: 10.76 +/- 0.07 vs. 9.23 +/- 0.14). Throughout the entire study period, the fraction of the population that practiced physical activity three or more times per week was self-perceived with lower levels of GAD and depression than those who exercised less frequently. Conclusions Of the three waves of contagion that the Argentine population suffered, the highest rates of GAD and depression were recorded in the second wave, and these symptoms decreased over the months, even during the third wave, which presented the highest number of infections. Our results also suggest that the progress of the vaccination campaign and the practice of physical exercises with high frequency could play a protective role in the mental health of the population during COVID-19.
引用
收藏
页数:13
相关论文
共 30 条
[1]   While studies on COVID-19 vaccine is ongoing, the public's thoughts and attitudes to the future COVID-19 vaccine [J].
Akarsu, Busra ;
Canbay ozdemir, Dilara ;
Ayhan Baser, Duygu ;
Aksoy, Hilal ;
Fidanci, Izzet ;
Cankurtaran, Mustafa .
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, 2021, 75 (04)
[2]   Psychological effects and associated factors among vaccinated and unvaccinated general population against COVID-19 infection in Bangladesh [J].
Alam, Md. Dhedharul ;
Abedin, Md. Joynal ;
Islam, Asraful ;
Mosfeq-Ul-Hasan, Md. ;
Rahman, Obaydur ;
Xu, Yi .
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY, 2022, 13
[3]  
Ausín Berta, 2021, Escritos de Psicología, V14, P51, DOI 10.24310/espsiescpsi.v14i2.12498
[4]   Early indicators and risk factors associated with mental health problems during COVID-19 quarantine: Is there a relationship with the number of confirmed cases and deaths? [J].
Badellino, Hector ;
Gobbo, Maria Emilia ;
Torres, Eduardo ;
Aschieri, Maria Emilia .
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY, 2021, 67 (05) :567-575
[5]   Validation of the PHQ-9 in a psychiatric sample [J].
Beard, C. ;
Hsu, K. J. ;
Rifkin, L. S. ;
Busch, A. B. ;
Bjoergvinsson, T. .
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS, 2016, 193 :267-273
[6]   Prevalence and Sociodemographic Predictors of Mental Health in a Representative Sample of Young Adults from Germany, Israel, Poland, and Slovenia: A Longitudinal Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic [J].
Benatov, Joy ;
Ochnik, Dominika ;
Rogowska, Aleksandra M. ;
Arzensek, Ana ;
Mars Bitenc, Ursa .
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH, 2022, 19 (03)
[7]   Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Argentinian Population: Vaccination Is Associated With a Decrease in Depressive Symptoms [J].
Benedetti, Pedro ;
Barbuzza, Alejo ;
Moscato, Franco ;
Reppucci, Victoria ;
Goyeneche, Celina ;
Katche, Cynthia ;
Medina, Jorge H. ;
Viola, Haydee ;
Ballarini, Fabricio ;
Moncada, Diego .
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY, 2022, 13
[8]   Health behaviours of young adults during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic - a longitudinal study [J].
Czenczek-Lewandowska, Ewelina ;
Wyszynska, Justyna ;
Leszczak, Justyna ;
Baran, Joanna ;
Weres, Aneta ;
Mazur, Artur ;
Lewandowski, Bogumil .
BMC PUBLIC HEALTH, 2021, 21 (01)
[9]   Trajectories of anxiety and depressive symptoms during enforced isolation due to COVID-19 in England: a longitudinal observational study [J].
Fancourt, Daisy ;
Steptoe, Andrew ;
Bu, Feifei .
LANCET PSYCHIATRY, 2021, 8 (02) :141-149
[10]   Psychological distress and mental health trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina: a longitudinal study [J].
Fernandez, Rodrigo S. ;
Crivelli, Lucia ;
Guimet, Nahuel Magrath ;
Allegri, Ricardo F. ;
Picco, Soledad ;
Pedreira, Maria E. .
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 2022, 12 (01)