COVID-19 pandemic and mental health in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study

Radwan El Othman (1) , Elsie Touma (1) , Rola El Othman (2) , Chadia Haddad (3, 4) , Rabih Hallit (1) , Sahar Obeid (4, 5, 1) , Pascale Salameh (1, 6) , Souheil Hallit (5)

1 Holy-Spirit University of Kaslik [Jounieh]
2 Bahman Hospital [Beirut, Lebanon]
3 NET - Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale
4 Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross = Hôpital Psychiatrique De La Croix
5 INSPECT-LB - Institut National de Santé Publique, Epidémiologie Clinique et Toxicologie [Beyrouth, Liban]
6 University of Nicosia

Objectives: To evaluate depression, stress, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviours in the Lebanese population in response to COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and April 2020 on 386 participants randomly recruited from Lebanese general population. Results: Following the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon compared to was not significantly associated with higher stress, higher depression, lower obsessive-compulsive traits, higher anxiety. Moreover, higher compulsion (Beta = 0.092), having a university level of education (Beta = 0.573), intermediate income (Beta = 1.889), following the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon all of the time (Beta = 7.064), most of the time (Beta = 5.592), sometimes (Beta = 4.235) and little of the time (Beta = 7.676) were significantly associated with a higher hygienic prevention practices score. Higher age (Beta = -0.051), being a male (Beta = -1.432), higher depression (Beta = -0.083) and practicing religion some of the time (Beta = -0.826) were significantly associated with a lower hygienic prevention practices score. Conclusion: This study found a strong interrelationship between psychological stress, depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive traits during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified the most vulnerable sub-groups in the Lebanese population. Additional measures should be deployed by health authorities in Lebanon and worldwide to face the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.Key pointsFollowing the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon compared to not was significantly associated with higher stress, higher depression, lower obsessive-compulsive disorder, higher anxiety.Higher compulsion, having a university level of education, following the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon were significantly associated with a higher hygienic prevention practices score.Higher depression, male gender, and practicing religion some of the time were significantly associated with a lower hygienic prevention practices score.Additional measures should be deployed by health authorities in Lebanon and worldwide to face the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.

Mots clés: Covid-19 pandemic; Depression; anxiety; compulsion; mental health; obsession

Domaines: Santé publique et épidémiologie

Radwan El Othman, Elsie Touma, Rola El Othman, Chadia Haddad, Rabih Hallit, et al.. COVID-19 pandemic and mental health in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 2021, 25 (2), pp.152-163. ⟨10.1080/13651501.2021.1879159⟩. ⟨hal-03575623⟩