Risk of Mental Health Impairment Associated with Psychological Distress in a Group of Young Adults During Isolation by COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to various mental health problems in the population, as routines were abruptly affected, forcing people to isolate themselves from their family and friends and change the modality of their jobs, especially during the most restrictive measures. All of this has resulted in problems such as anxiety, depression, stress, and the risk of suicide, among others. This study aims to determine the risk of mental health impairment in people who reported psychological distress during isolation due to COVID-19 in a sample of 396 young adults in Colombia. This is a retrospective study that followed a case -control design to identify the influence of per-ceived psychological distress measured by self -report. The instruments used were: (a) a sociodemographic data questionnaire, (b) Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), (c) Overall Depression and Impairment Scale (ODSIS), (d) Overall Anxiety and Impairment Scale (OASIS), (e) Zung Anxiety Scale, and (f) Plutchik's Risk of Suicide Scale. The results show that the risk of suffering from mental health problems is at least twice as high in those who perceived psychological distress during restrictive isolation compared to those who reported not having the same (OR(estres) = 2.04; OR(riesgo suicidio) = 2.61; OR(ansiedad) = 2.85; OR(depresion) = 3.37). Depression is the mental health variable with the greatest impact, as the risk of having depressive symptoms is even three times greater; however, in the depression, anxiety, and stress triad, the risk of involvement is even higher for those who were exposed to psychological distress (OR=3.71). These findings underscore the need for mental health intervention, especially in those who have more than one affectation.