Depression and Anxiety in Hong Kong during COVID-19

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 17; no. 10; p. 3740
• Main Authors: Choi, Edmond Pui Hang, Hui, Bryant Pui Hung, Wan, Eric Yuk Fai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.05.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety disorders; Betacoronavirus; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Depression - epidemiology; Disease Outbreaks; Epidemics; Female; Hong Kong - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Masks; Mental depression; Mental health; Middle Aged; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Population studies; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires; Hong Kong; Hong Kong China; China; COVID-19; anxiety; depression; Hong Kong; mental health
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17103740

It has been three months since the first confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hong Kong, and people now have a more complete picture of the extent of the pandemic. Therefore, it is time to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health. The current population-based study aimed to evaluate the depression and anxiety of people in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were randomly recruited and asked to complete a structured questionnaire, including the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), the global rating of change scale and items related to COVID-19. Of the 500 respondents included in the study, 19% had depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10) and 14% had anxiety (GAD score ≥ 10). In addition, 25.4% reported that their mental health had deteriorated since the pandemic. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that not experiencing the SARS outbreak in 2003, being worried about being infected by COVID-19, being bothered by having not enough surgical masks and being bothered by not being able to work from home were associated with a poorer mental health status. Psychological support, such as brief, home-based psychological interventions, should be provided to citizens during the pandemic.