Depression, anxiety and suicidality in a population of Metropolitan Lima during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency and factors associated with depression, anxiety and suicidality in a population of Lima Metropolitan Area during the SARSCoV-2 pandemic. Materials and methods: Observational, cross-sectional and analytical study; the type of sampling was non-probabilistic “snowball”, two virtual surveys were used, the Depressive Psychopathology Scale-6 and the Lima Anxiety Scale-20. Crude (PRc) and adjusted (PRa) prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated by Poisson regressions with robust variance. Variables with p-values <0,10 were included in the multivariate analysis. Results: 12,4% had depression, 23,1% anxiety and 5,3% suicidality %. In the multivariate model, an association was found between being divorced / widowed / separated (PRa=2,19; CI:1,18-4,07), being graduate (PRa=0,44; CI:0,28-0,69), being undergraduate (PRa=0,26; CI:0,14-0,48) and being unemployed (PRa=3,51; CI:0,79- 10,22) with depression. There was a significant association between female gender (PRa=1,62; CI:1,25-2,09), being young (PRa=3,24; CI:1,34-7,83), being an adult (PRa=3,48; CI:1,43-8,46), being graduate (PRa=0,44; CI:0,33-0,58) and being independent employee (PRa=2,94; CI:1,37-6,29) with anxiety. Female gender (PRa=0,48; CI:0,27-0,85), being divorced / widowed / separated (PRa=4,69; CI:2,23-9,83) and being dependent employee (PRa=0,24; CI:0,10-0,57) were factors associated with suicidality. Conclusions: Occupation type was significantly associated with depression, anxiety and suicidality; gender with anxiety and suicidality; marital status with depression and suicidality; education level with depression and anxiety; and age range with anxiety.