Tan, ESS, Chin, SAFX, Sathapan, MSP et al. (6 more authors) (2023) Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Evidence from Malaysia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 (5). 4046. ISSN 1661-7827
Abstract
The interplay of physical, social, and economic factors during the pandemic adversely affected the mental health of healthy people and exacerbated pre-existing mental disorders. This study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the general population in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study involving 1246 participants was conducted. A validated questionnaire consisting of the level of knowledge and practice of precautionary behaviors, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life—Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used as an instrument to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results revealed that most participants possessed a high level of knowledge about COVID-19 and practiced wearing face masks daily as a precautionary measure. The average DASS scores were beyond the mild to moderate cut-off point for all three domains. The present study found that prolonged lockdowns had significantly impacted (p < 0.05), the mental health of the general population in Malaysia, reducing quality of life during the pandemic. Employment status, financial instability, and low annual incomes appeared to be risk factors (p < 0.05) contributing to mental distress, while older age played a protective role (p < 0.05). This is the first large-scale study in Malaysia to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); level of knowledge; precautionary behaviors; Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS); World Health Organization Quality of Life—Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Food Science and Nutrition (Leeds) > FSN Chemistry and Biochemistry (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 21 Mar 2023 14:23 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 23:17 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054046 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | MDPI |
Identification Number: | 10.3390/ijerph20054046 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:197433 |