Ahmed A. Almufarrij1, Alanoud H. Alhaqbani1,*, Nawaf A. Hantol1, Nasser K. Alothemeen1, Fahad S. Alabbas1, Abdelkareem F. Alshehri1, Abdulhamid H. Alawaji1, Zainab F. Ali1, Raghad M. Almarri1, Sned A. Alenzi1, Ali H. Alhani1, Mohamed H Shehata2
1College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
2Family and Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
Volume: 10 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 67-76 | June 2024 | https://doi.org/10.54940/ms97481053 | PDF
Received: 17/08/2023 | Revised: 10/10/2023 | Accepted: 21/10/2023
*Corresponding Author: Alanoud H. Alhaqbani. Email: [email protected]
Abstract
Background: On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. COVID-19 has affected the mental health of millions globally by disrupting their usual activities and creating depression, anxiety, and stress. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of residents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was distributed among individuals in Saudi Arabia in July 2022. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of the study population.
Results: 479 Saudi Arabian residents participated in the survey; 39% reported extremely severe depression, while 60.8% and 25.9% reported extremely severe anxiety and stress, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that females, young individuals, and participants who had more than 7 people in their households had significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. When studying attitudes regarding protective practices against COVID-19, they were at their highest early in the pandemic and declined after two years of the pandemic.
Conclusion: This study’s findings indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has a high negative impact on the mental health of participants. These findings can be used to develop psychological interventions for the general population and more specifically vulnerable populations, as well as to execute public mental health initiatives alongside pandemic response efforts.
Keywords
COVID-19, Depression, Anxiety, Stress scale, Pandemic response, Mental stress.
How to Cite
Al Mufarrij, A. A., Al Haqbani, A. H., Hantol, N. A., Al Othemeen, N. K., Al Abbas, F. S., Al Shehri, A. F., Al Awaji A. H., Ali, Z. F., Al Marri, R. M., Al Enzi, S. N., Al Hani, A. H., & Shehata, M. H. (2024). Effect of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Adults Living in Saudi Arabia After Two Years from the Beginning of the Pandemic. Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Medical Sciences, 10(1), 67-76. https://doi.org/10.54940/ms97481053