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Prevalence and Factors Associated with Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: A Survey-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abir T 1 , Kalimullah NA 2 , Osuagwu UL 3 , Nur-A Yazdani DM 1 , Husain T 4 , Goson PC 5 Show all authors , Basak P 6 , Rahman MA 7 , Al Mamun A 8 , Permarupan PY 9 , Khan MYH 10 , Milton AH 11 , Agho KE 12

Affiliations 

  • 1 College of Business Administration (CBA), IUBAT-International University of Business, Agriculture and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • 2 Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur-5404, Bangladesh
  • 3 Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Translational Research Unit, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia; African Vision Research Institute (AVRI), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 3629, South Africa
  • 4 Department of Gender and Development Studies, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5404, Bangladesh
  • 5 Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, University of Jos, Nigeria
  • 6 School of Environment and Life Sciences (Environmental Science and Management), University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia
  • 7 College of Business Administration (CBA), IUBAT-International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • 8 Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
  • 9 Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Kota Bharu 16100, Malaysia
  • 10 College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, IUBAT-International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • 11 Research International, Dhaka, Bangladesh & Epidemiology Resource Centre, NSW, Australia
  • 12 School of Health Science, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia; African Vision Research Institute (AVRI), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 3629, South Africa
Ann Glob Health, 2021 04 26;87(1):43.
PMID: 33981590 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.3269

Abstract

Background: Feelings of isolation, insecurity, and instability triggered by COVID-19 could have a long-term impact on the mental health status of individuals.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, and stress) in Bangladesh and the factors associated with these symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: From 1 to 30 April 2020, we used a validated self-administered questionnaire to conduct a cross-sectional study on 10,609 participants through an online survey platform. We assessed mental health status using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The total depression, anxiety, and stress subscale scores were divided into normal, mild, moderate, severe, and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associated factors.

Findings: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 15%, 34%, and 15% for mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms, respectively. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 59% for severe anxiety symptoms, 14% for moderate anxiety symptoms, and 14% for mild anxiety symptoms, while the prevalence for stress levels were 16% for severe stress level, 22% for moderate stress level, and 13% for mild stress level. Multivariate analyses revealed that the most consistent factors associated with mild, moderate, and severe of the three mental health subscales (depression, anxiety, and stress) were respondents who lived in Dhaka and Rangpur division, females, those who self-quarantined in the previous seven days before the survey, and those respondents who experienced chills, breathing difficulty, dizziness, and sore throat.

Conclusion: Our results showed that about 64%, 87%, and 61% of the respondents in Bangladesh reported high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. There is a need for mental health support targeting women and those who self-quarantined or lived in Dhaka and Rangpur during the pandemic.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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