Mental Health Disorders Rise sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic?


Author : Wayan Suriastini, Bondan Sikoki dan ListionoTuesday, 21/07/2020

COVID-19 gives multiple stress to people's lives. Starting from fears of contracting COVID-19, worrying about dying and losing family members and friends to stress due to layoffs and decreased income. On the other hand, media reports that constantly give insight of the numbers and circumstances patients regarding of illness and death add to fear and stress. Therefore people who did not experience anxiety or depression before the pandemic become overly worried and depressed at the time of the pandemic.

The above condition is a global picture from the results of an online survey about the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Conditions conducted by SurveyMETER at the end of May 2020. The level of anxiety and depression based on demographic, geographic, social and economic conditions is correlated with changes in work status and changes in income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More specifically, women experience higher levels of anxiety than men. The higher the education level of the respondents the lower the anxiety level. Respondents domiciled in the provinces with the top 5 highest number of COVID-19 cases before the survey were conducted (ie DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java and South Sulawesi), experienced a higher level of anxiety compared to other provinces.

The level of general anxiety (GAD) has the same pattern as depression. The correlation between the two is quite high and significant, reaching 0.76. As many as 58% of respondents reported depression. Similar to anxiety disorders, more women experience depression compared to men.

To find out more complete the results of the study including recommendations to the government and all of us, please download and read the results of the study in the form of a Research Brief here.