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. 2021 Apr 26;87(1):43.
doi: 10.5334/aogh.3269.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: A Survey-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Tanvir Abir  1 , Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah  2 , Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu  3 , Dewan Muhammad Nur-A Yazdani  1 , Taha Husain  4 , Piwuna Christopher Goson  5 , Palash Basak  6 , Md Adnan Rahman  7 , Abdullah Al Mamun  8 , P Yukthamarani Permarupan  9 , Md Yusuf Hossein Khan  10 , Abul Hasnat Milton  11 , Kingsley E Agho  12
Affiliations

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: A Survey-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Tanvir Abir et al. Ann Glob Health. .

Abstract

Background: Feelings of isolation, insecurity, and instability triggered by COVID-19 could have a long-term impact on the mental health status of individuals.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, and stress) in Bangladesh and the factors associated with these symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: From 1 to 30 April 2020, we used a validated self-administered questionnaire to conduct a cross-sectional study on 10,609 participants through an online survey platform. We assessed mental health status using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The total depression, anxiety, and stress subscale scores were divided into normal, mild, moderate, severe, and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associated factors.

Findings: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 15%, 34%, and 15% for mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms, respectively. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 59% for severe anxiety symptoms, 14% for moderate anxiety symptoms, and 14% for mild anxiety symptoms, while the prevalence for stress levels were 16% for severe stress level, 22% for moderate stress level, and 13% for mild stress level. Multivariate analyses revealed that the most consistent factors associated with mild, moderate, and severe of the three mental health subscales (depression, anxiety, and stress) were respondents who lived in Dhaka and Rangpur division, females, those who self-quarantined in the previous seven days before the survey, and those respondents who experienced chills, breathing difficulty, dizziness, and sore throat.

Conclusion: Our results showed that about 64%, 87%, and 61% of the respondents in Bangladesh reported high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. There is a need for mental health support targeting women and those who self-quarantined or lived in Dhaka and Rangpur during the pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Error bars are 95% Confidence Intervals.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Spatial distribution of depression during COVID-19 in Bangladesh by division.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Spatial distribution of anxiety during COVID-19 in Bangladesh by division.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Spatial distribution of stress during COVID-19 in Bangladesh by division.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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