Mental Health Burdens Associated With the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Protective Interventions to Prevent Infections (preprint)

Background: The negative impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the imposed safety measures on mental health became a global concern. This paper presents the initial part of a longitudinal survey assessing the psychological impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the implemented safety measures on the population in southern Germany. We hypothesized that subjects who reported a high stress level caused by the pandemic (P+) and social safety measures (S+) would show elevated signs of anxiety, depression and/or lower mental health-related-quality-of-life (M-HRQoL). Methods: We report data of 1569 subjects who participated in an online survey conducted between May 15 and July 30. Anxiety, depression and perceived M-HRQQoL were assessed by standardized questionnaires. Linear regressions were used to estimate the relationship between (P+), (S+), anxiety, depression, and M-HRQoL, with age and gender included as covariates. A post-hoc analysis was executed to estimate general prevalence of anxiety, depression and M-HRQoL levels. Findings: Overall, symptoms of high levels of anxiety (38.7%) and depression (27.7%) were observed. The average M-HRQoL was at M=26.8 (SD=8.7) for subjects reporting high burden caused by the pandemic or social measures (M=29.8; SD=8.6). The negative burden caused by the pandemic and corresponding social protection measures reflected in high anxiety F(4, 1569)=116.55, p <.001), depression (F(3, 1569)=308.53, p <.001), as well as in lowered M-HRQoL (F(3, 1569)=233.93, p <.001). Interpretation: This study reveals that the pandemic and the implemented safety measures each have a negative impact on mental health. Psychological support and specific interventions are needed in order to provide the necessary help. Funding Statement: None Declaration of Interests: There are no conflicts of interest of any of the authors. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the local Ethical committee.