Psychological Distress among Residents in Nigeria during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Chisom Adaobi Nri-Ezedi
Department of Paediatrics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra, Nigeria.
Chioma Phyllis Nnamani
Department of Family Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Nonye Ijeoma Ezeh
Department of Paediatrics, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
Chioma Okechukwu
Department of Paediatrics, River State University Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Oluwatoyin Fasesan
Ben S Carson (Snr) School of Medicine, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun, Nigeria.
Thomas Obiajulu Ulasi
Department of Paediatrics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: During an epidemic, an associated rise in mental health concerns is usually observed. The impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on mental health of adults residing in Nigeria is unknown. The current study attempts to determine the prevalence of psychological distress among adult residents in Nigeria and explore any potential risk factors.
Methodology: An online survey developed with Google form was distributed to willing respondents using social media platforms between the time period of 24th of April to 30th of May 2020. Kessler psychological distress scale was used to assess for prevalence of mental health morbidity.
Results: Overall, 815 adults responded to the survey, of which 344 (42.2%) were males and 471 (57.8%) females with a Male: Female ratio of 1:1.4. Overall, the top 3 sources of information on facts concerning COVID-19 were television (28.1%), WhatsApp (16.5%) and health care providers (14.3%), while the least source of information was the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) (0.8%). 47.3% of the respondents had psychological distress: medium risk (41.4%) and high risk (5.9%). Significant predictors include age, occupation, income, working status, and perception of how likely the respondent believe that he or she can be infected with the disease.
Conclusion: A high prevalence of psychological distress was detected among adults living in Nigeria. This calls for an urgent review of the existing national protocol on the management of COVID-19 to include strategies and programs that will promptly detect and address the mental health needs of at-risk populations.
Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic, mental health, Nigeria, adults, psychological distress, stress, Kessler, social media, lockdown.