Closed doors: Predictors of stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD during the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Background: The rise in mental health problems in the population directly or indirectly because of the corona-virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major concern. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare independent predictors of symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Brazilians one month after the implementation of measures of social distancing. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed using a web-based survey. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) were the outcomes. Data were gathered regarding de-mographics, social distancing, economic problems, exposure to the news of the pandemic, psychiatric history, sleep disturbances, traumatic situations, and substance use. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test -Consumption (AUDIT-C) was also administered. The predictors of the symptoms were investigated using hier-archical multiple linear regression. Results: Of a sample of 3587 participants, approximately two-thirds considered that their mental health worsened after the beginning of the social restriction measures. The most important predictors of the symptoms investi-gated were the intensity of the distress related to the news of the pandemic, younger age, current psychiatric diagnosis, trouble sleeping, emotional abuse or violence, and economic problems. Conclusions: These results confirmed the hypothesis that the pandemic impacted the mental health of the pop-ulation and indicated that the level of distress related to the news was the most important predictor of psy-chological suffering.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate and compare independent predictors of stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms in Brazilians one month after the implementation of social distancing measures. The results showed that the distress related to the news of the pandemic was the most important predictor of psychological suffering.