Are COVID-19’srestrictive measures associated with people’s quality of life and the prevalence of anxiety and depression in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Background: The spread of the COVID-19 and the economic consequences due to several restrictive measures have increased misery and caused panic, fear, and anxiety among Congolese people. So far, no study has investigated the impact COVID-19’s restrictive measures had on Congolese quality of life. Aims: This study investigates whether COVID-19’s restrictive measures are associated with people’s quality of life and the prevalence of anxiety and depression in Kinshasa. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 17 municipalities in Kinshasa. Adults aged 18 and over were recruited; N=100 (41 females, 58 males & 1 prefer not). Several measures were used: Social Contacts Assessment (SCA), Time Use Survey (TUS), Manchester Short Assessment of quality of life (MANSA), Health status EQ-5D-3L, UCLA Loneliness Scale; Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9); Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and COVID-19 related questions. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results: The depression and anxiety scores (PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were 9.1 (SD= 6.8) and 8.5 (SD= 6.1) respectively) seem to be higher. The quality of life was negatively linked with people who were living alone (B= -0.35, p= 0.05), and those who said that their mental health got worse due to COVID-19 (B= -0.30, p= 0.04). The quality of life was positively associated with those who describe themselves as less lonely (B= 0.34, p= 0.03). Conclusion: Living alone is linked with poor quality of life. This study addresses the gap in public health literature in the DRC and low- and middle-income countries.