Disease outbreak not only carries the risk of death to the public due to the infection, but it also can lead to unbearable psychological impact on the mental health of the individuals. This study aims to explore and evaluate the burden of psychological problems on the Iranian general population during the outbreak of COVID-19. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among the general population of Iran age 15 and above. Demographic variables, depression, and anxiety symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and General Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaires. Among the 8591 participants, the mean age was 34.37 (± 11.25) years and 66.4% were female while 33.6% were male. Based on our results, 1295 (15.1%) and 1733 (20.1%) of the general population had clinically significant depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Based on the demographic variables, female gender was associated with a higher risk for developing depression and anxiety symptoms, whereas getting information about the disease from medical journals and articles, being older, and being married were considered as associated protective factors. In terms of depression, being a healthcare worker was an associated risk factor. On the other hand, for anxiety, having higher education was a protective factor while a higher number of individuals in a household was considered as a risk factor. This study identified a major mental health problem in the Iranian population during the time of the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, establishing a targeted mental health support program during the time of public emergencies, such as the disease outbreak, is advised.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 爆发对心理健康的影响：伊朗全国调查

疾病爆发不仅会给公众带来因感染而死亡的风险，还会对个人的心理健康造成难以承受的心理影响。本研究旨在探讨和评估 COVID-19 爆发期间伊朗普通民众的心理问题负担。对伊朗 15 岁及以上的一般人口进行了一项基于网络的横断面调查。使用患者健康问卷 9 和一般性焦虑症 7 问卷评估人口统计学变量、抑郁和焦虑症状。在 8591 名参与者中，平均年龄为 34.37 (± 11.25) 岁，其中 66.4% 为女性，33.6% 为男性。根据我们的结果，普通人群中分别有 1295 名（15.1%）和 1733 名（20.1%）有临床显着的抑郁和焦虑症状。根据人口统计学变量，女性与出现抑郁和焦虑症状的较高风险相关，而从医学期刊和文章中获取有关该疾病的信息、年龄较大和已婚被认为是相关的保护因素。就抑郁症而言，担任医护人员是一个相关的风险因素。另一方面，对于焦虑而言，受过高等教育是一个保护因素，而家庭中人数较多则被认为是一个危险因素。这项研究发现了 COVID-19 爆发期间伊朗人口的一个主要心理健康问题。因此，建议在疾病爆发等突发公共事件期间建立有针对性的心理健康支持计划。