Evaluation of the Risk of Anxiety and/or Depression during Confinement Due to COVID-19 in Central Spain

• Main Authors: Rosa M Cárdaba-García, Lucia Pérez Pérez, Virtudes Niño Martín, Inés Cárdaba-García, Carlos Durantez-Fernández, Elena Olea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: SARS-CoV-2; pandemic; confinement; Spain; depression; anxiety
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/5732
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

(1) Background: The confinement of the population in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was related to an increased risk of suffering from anxiety and/or depression in previous studies with other populations. (2) Methods: descriptive study using surveys (Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale) with 808 participants over 18 years of age between 14 and 20 of May 2020 during the confinement due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Spain. (3) Results: 63% of the participants were at risk of suffering from anxiety and 64.9% were at risk of depression. Variables reaching statistical significance were: age (t anxiety = −0.139 and t depression = −0.153), gender (t anxiety = −4.152 and t depression = −4.178), marital status (anxiety F = 2.893 and depression F = 3.011), symptoms compatible with COVID-19 (t anxiety = −4.177 and t depression = −3.791), previous need for psychological help (t anxiety = −5.385 and t depression = −7.136) and need for such help at the time of the study (t anxiety = −9.144 and depression = −10.995). In addition, we generated two regression models that estimate the risk of anxiety and depression. (4) Conclusions: more than half of the participants were at risk of suffering from anxiety and/or depression, confirming the negative effect of confinement on the population.