COVID-19 pandemic and mental health in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study
Creators: name: Othman, Radwan El
name: Touma, Elsie
name: Othman, Rola El
name: Haddad, Chadia
name: Hallit, Rabih
name: Obeid, Sahar
name: Salameh, Pascale
name: Hallit, Souheil
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: To evaluate depression, stress, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviours in the Lebanese population in response to COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and April 2020 on 386 participants randomly recruited from Lebanese general population. Following the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon compared to was not significantly associated with higher stress, higher depression, lower obsessive-compulsive traits, higher anxiety. Moreover, higher compulsion (Beta = 0.092), having a university level of education (Beta = 0.573), intermediate income (Beta = 1.889), following the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon all of the time (Beta = 7.064), most of the time (Beta = 5.592), sometimes (Beta = 4.235) and little of the time (Beta = 7.676) were significantly associated with a higher hygienic prevention practices score. Higher age (Beta = –0.051), being a male (Beta = –1.432), higher depression (Beta = –0.083) and practicing religion some of the time (Beta = –0.826) were significantly associated with a lower hygienic prevention practices score. This study found a strong interrelationship between psychological stress, depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive traits during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified the most vulnerable sub-groups in the Lebanese population. Additional measures should be deployed by health authorities in Lebanon and worldwide to face the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.Key pointsFollowing the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon compared to not was significantly associated with higher stress, higher depression, lower obsessive-compulsive disorder, higher anxiety.Higher compulsion, having a university level of education, following the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon were significantly associated with a higher hygienic prevention practices score.Higher depression, male gender, and practicing religion some of the time were significantly associated with a lower hygienic prevention practices score.Additional measures should be deployed by health authorities in Lebanon and worldwide to face the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. Following the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon compared to not was significantly associated with higher stress, higher depression, lower obsessive-compulsive disorder, higher anxiety. Higher compulsion, having a university level of education, following the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon were significantly associated with a higher hygienic prevention practices score. Higher depression, male gender, and practicing religion some of the time were significantly associated with a lower hygienic prevention practices score. Additional measures should be deployed by health authorities in Lebanon and worldwide to face the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.