COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Canada
Background: The spread of COVID-19 along with strict public health measures have resulted in unintended adverse effects, including greater levels of distress, anxiety, and depression. This study examined relative presentations of these psychopathologies in different age groups in a Canadian cohort d...
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doaj-3391d60d2225452885fdc4a2ab3635af2020-11-25T03:38:39ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012020-09-01176366636610.3390/ijerph17176366COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety and Depression in CanadaIzu Nwachukwu0Nnamdi Nkire1Reham Shalaby2Marianne Hrabok3Wesley Vuong4April Gusnowski5Shireen Surood6Liana Urichuk7Andrew J. Greenshaw8Vincent I.O. Agyapong9Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, CanadaCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, CanadaAddiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, CanadaAddiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, CanadaAddiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, CanadaBackground: The spread of COVID-19 along with strict public health measures have resulted in unintended adverse effects, including greater levels of distress, anxiety, and depression. This study examined relative presentations of these psychopathologies in different age groups in a Canadian cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: Participants were subscribers to the Text4Hope program, developed to support Albertans during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey link was used to gather demographic information and responses on several self-report scales, such as Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results: There were 8267 individuals who completed the survey, giving a response rate of 19.4%. Overall, 909 (11.0%) respondents identified as ≤25 years, 2939 (35.6%) identified as (26–40) years, 3431 (41.5%) identified as (41–60) years, 762 (9.2%) identified as over 60 years, and 226 (2.7%) did not identify their age. Mean scores on the PSS, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 scales were highest among those aged ≤25 and lowest amongst those aged >60 years old. Conclusions: The finding that the prevalence rates and the mean scores for stress, anxiety, and depression on standardized scales to decrease from younger to older subscribers is an interesting observation with potential implications for planning to meet mental health service needs during COVID-19.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6366COVID-19pandemicanxietydepressionstresse-mental health |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Izu Nwachukwu Nnamdi Nkire Reham Shalaby Marianne Hrabok Wesley Vuong April Gusnowski Shireen Surood Liana Urichuk Andrew J. Greenshaw Vincent I.O. Agyapong |
spellingShingle |
Izu Nwachukwu Nnamdi Nkire Reham Shalaby Marianne Hrabok Wesley Vuong April Gusnowski Shireen Surood Liana Urichuk Andrew J. Greenshaw Vincent I.O. Agyapong COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Canada International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health COVID-19 pandemic anxiety depression stress e-mental health |
author_facet |
Izu Nwachukwu Nnamdi Nkire Reham Shalaby Marianne Hrabok Wesley Vuong April Gusnowski Shireen Surood Liana Urichuk Andrew J. Greenshaw Vincent I.O. Agyapong |
author_sort |
Izu Nwachukwu |
title |
COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Canada |
title_short |
COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Canada |
title_full |
COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Canada |
title_fullStr |
COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Canada |
title_sort |
covid-19 pandemic: age-related differences in measures of stress, anxiety and depression in canada |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1661-7827 1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2020-09-01 |
description |
Background: The spread of COVID-19 along with strict public health measures have resulted in unintended adverse effects, including greater levels of distress, anxiety, and depression. This study examined relative presentations of these psychopathologies in different age groups in a Canadian cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: Participants were subscribers to the Text4Hope program, developed to support Albertans during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey link was used to gather demographic information and responses on several self-report scales, such as Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results: There were 8267 individuals who completed the survey, giving a response rate of 19.4%. Overall, 909 (11.0%) respondents identified as ≤25 years, 2939 (35.6%) identified as (26–40) years, 3431 (41.5%) identified as (41–60) years, 762 (9.2%) identified as over 60 years, and 226 (2.7%) did not identify their age. Mean scores on the PSS, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 scales were highest among those aged ≤25 and lowest amongst those aged >60 years old. Conclusions: The finding that the prevalence rates and the mean scores for stress, anxiety, and depression on standardized scales to decrease from younger to older subscribers is an interesting observation with potential implications for planning to meet mental health service needs during COVID-19. |
topic |
COVID-19 pandemic anxiety depression stress e-mental health |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6366 |
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