ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health and mental health-related lifestyles in Shanghai, China. In the cross-sectional study conducted in May 2020, participants were asked to complete a validated questionnaire including the impact of event scale (IES), social and family support, lifestyle changes, and indicators of negative mental health impact. A total of 430 participants (303 females and 127 males) completed the questionnaire. The overall mean of IES score was 32.3 ± 12.2, indicating a moderate-to-severe mental stress impact. Moreover, there were 68.4% of participant who had IES score ≥26. Females were more likely to get increased support from family and friends, share feeling with them and others, and care for family member’s feeling (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, although the COVID-19 pandemic was correlated with high stressful impact, it had associated with some positive mental-health related changes in an urban environment.