Background

During quarantine, both physical and mental health are a concern. To the same extent that physicians are a scarce resource during this crisis, psychiatrists and psychologists are also limited in number. To help practitioners and public managers decide where to invest their resources, the present research investigated the relationships of stress, depression and state anxiety levels with sociodemographic and behavioural variables.

Methods

Data were collected in Brazil between March, 18 and 22, 2020 in 1,468 volunteers during quarantine. Participants with a history of or current mental health illnesses were excluded leaving 1,460 individuals in the final sample. The online assessment included instruments for psychological stress, depression and state anxiety. A sociodemographic and behavioural questionnaire with 15 items was used to assess other factors. Multiple linear regression was performed for each psychological outcome to determine a hierarchy of significant predictors.

Findings

Stress, depression and state anxiety levels were all predicted by gender (women higher than men), quality of nutrition, attendance in tele-psychotherapy, exercise frequency, presence of elderly persons in quarantine with the person, obligation to work outside the home, level of education (more educated, lesser risk for mental illness) and age (younger age, greater risk). Having a perceived risk factor for COVID-19 predicted depression and state anxiety, but not stress. Finally, the presence of children in quarantine with the participant was a protective factor for depression.

Interpretation

Even though this research is limited by its cross-sectional design, it is possible to infer that mental health varies by demographic attributes, obligations and health behaviours. Those who report higher distress must work outside the home during quarantine, live with an elderly person and carry a risk factor for COVID-19, among other factors. Identifying those who are most vulnerable would help to prioritize those who may need the greatest psychological aid and assist public health practitioners in developing support strategies.

中文翻译：

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因 COVID-19 而被隔离的巴西人潜在精神疾病的风险因素

 背景

隔离期间，身体和心理健康都令人担忧。正如这场危机期间医生是稀缺资源一样，精神科医生和心理学家的数量也有限。为了帮助从业者和公共管理者决定将资源投资到哪里，本研究调查了压力、抑郁和状态焦虑水平与社会人口和行为变量的关系。

 方法

数据于 2020 年 3 月 18 日至 22 日在巴西隔离期间收集了 1,468 名志愿者。有精神健康疾病史或当前患有精神疾病的参与者被排除在外，最终样本中只剩下 1,460 人。在线评估包括心理压力、抑郁和状态焦虑的工具。使用包含 15 个项目的社会人口统计学和行为调查问卷来评估其他因素。对每个心理结果进行多元线性回归，以确定重要预测因素的层次结构。

 发现

压力、抑郁和状态焦虑水平均通过性别（女性高于男性）、营养质量、参加远程心理治疗、运动频率、与患者隔离的老年人、外出工作的义务、水平来预测教育程度（受教育程度越高，患精神疾病的风险越小）和年龄（年龄越小，风险越大）。已知的 COVID-19 危险因素可以预测抑郁和状态焦虑，但不能预测压力。最后，与参与者一起隔离的儿童是抑郁症的保护因素。

 解释

尽管这项研究受到横断面设计的限制，但可以推断心理健康状况因人口特征、义务和健康行为而异。那些报告较高痛苦的人必须在隔离期间外出工作、与老年人住在一起并携带 COVID-19 的危险因素等。确定最脆弱的人将有助于优先考虑那些可能需要最大心理援助的人，并协助公共卫生从业者制定支持策略。