The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: early quarantine-related anxiety and its correlates among Jordanians

Background: Jordan implemented a nationwide lockdown and recommended self-quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such measures are expected to have consequences on mental health. Aims: In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of quarantine-related anxiety and its socioeconomic correlates. Methods: An online questionnaire was utilized to collect information about quarantine-related anxiety and related factors from a non-representative sample of Jordanian population in March 2020. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to ascertain the level of stress. Using STATA 16, multivariable ordinal logistic regression was done to estimate beta-coefficient (beta) and corresponding 95% CI of the anxiety level. Results: Overall, 5274 participants returned the survey. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe anxiety was 21.5%, 10.9%, and 6%, respectively. Female gender (beta=0.47, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.59) and more members of the household (beta=0.04, 95% CI: 0.00 to 0.07) were correlated with a higher degree of anxiety, while older age (beta=-0.27, 95% CI: -0.33 to -0.20), having larger social network (beta=-0.17, 95% CI -0.22 to -0.13), social support (beta=-0.28, 95% CI: -0.32 to -0.23), and higher income (>2000 Jordanian Dinars vs reference, beta=-0.52, 95% CI: -0.71 to -0.33) were correlated with lower BAI scores. Conclusion: Our findings showed that approximately four out of every ten participants experienced quarantine-related anxiety. Younger participants, women, and people with poor social support were more likely to experience quarantine-related anxiety. These findings highlight the importance of targeting these groups to mitigate the consequence of home quarantine on public health.