Abstract
Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic is associated with a variety of stressors. Preliminary research has demonstrated that general public are experiencing a range of psychological problems, including stress-related disturbances. However, to date, there is not much research on the prevalence of adjustment disorder during the current pandemic.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of symptoms of adjustment disorder compared to posttraumatic symptoms, depression and generalized anxiety in a large sample of adult Poles, in the first phase of the current pandemic.
Method: Self-report data from a web-based sample (N = 1,742) was collected between March 25 and April 27, just after the introduction of nationwide quarantine measures in Poland.
Results: The current COVID-19 pandemic was a highly stressful event for 75% of participants and the strongest predictor of adjustment disorder. Increased symptoms of adjustment disorder were reported by 49%, and they were associated with female gender and not having a full-time job. However, after exclusion of co-occurring symptomatology, 14% of the sample were finally qualified as meeting diagnostic criteria of adjustment disorder. A substantial proportion of the sample screened also positive for generalized anxiety (44%) and depression (26%); the rate for presumptive PTSD diagnosis was 2.4%.
Conclusions: High rates of negative mental health outcomes were found in the Polish population in the first weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures. They indicate the intense current stress-related symptoms in the early phase of the pandemic and warrant further monitoring on population’s mental health.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of symptoms of adjustment disorder compared to posttraumatic symptoms, depression and generalized anxiety in a large sample of adult Poles, in the first phase of the current pandemic.
Method: Self-report data from a web-based sample (N = 1,742) was collected between March 25 and April 27, just after the introduction of nationwide quarantine measures in Poland.
Results: The current COVID-19 pandemic was a highly stressful event for 75% of participants and the strongest predictor of adjustment disorder. Increased symptoms of adjustment disorder were reported by 49%, and they were associated with female gender and not having a full-time job. However, after exclusion of co-occurring symptomatology, 14% of the sample were finally qualified as meeting diagnostic criteria of adjustment disorder. A substantial proportion of the sample screened also positive for generalized anxiety (44%) and depression (26%); the rate for presumptive PTSD diagnosis was 2.4%.
Conclusions: High rates of negative mental health outcomes were found in the Polish population in the first weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures. They indicate the intense current stress-related symptoms in the early phase of the pandemic and warrant further monitoring on population’s mental health.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1860356 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-9 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 26 Jan 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published online - 26 Jan 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, from the funds awarded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the form of a subsidy for the maintenance and development of research potential in 2020 (501-D125-01-1250000 zlec.5011000218).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Keywords
- Adjustment Disorders - epidemiology - psychology
- Adult
- Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology - psychology
- COVID-19 - epidemiology - psychology
- Covid-19 pandemic
- Depression - epidemiology - psychology
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Pandemics
- Poland - epidemiology
- Psychological Trauma - epidemiology - psychology
- SARS-CoV-2
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology - psychology
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- adjustment disorder
- depression
- generalized anxiety
- traumatic stress
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology
- Anxiety Disorders/epidemiology
- Poland/epidemiology
- COVID-19/epidemiology
- Depression/epidemiology
- Adjustment Disorders/epidemiology
- Psychological Trauma/epidemiology