Symptoms of Anxiety and depression during the outbreak of COVID-19 in Paraguay

Abstract

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be stressful for some people. Fear and anxiety regarding illness can be overwhelming and generate strong emotions in both adults and children. For all the above research question arises as to determine the symptoms of anxiety and depression during the isolation period the outbreak of COVID-19 in Paraguay.

Methods: Cross-sectional study during the 17 to 20 March 2020 were surveyed every citizen resident in Paraguay, of both sexes, over 18 years of age, who agreed to participate in the study. To measure anxiety and depressive symptoms, the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (EADG) was used; This instrument consists of two subscales that make the level of anxiety and depression measurable separately, with only two possibilities of response; affirmative and negative.

Results: 1180 subjects participated in the study, of which 34.24% (404) were between 20 and 29 years old, 51.53 % (608) were female, 39.07 % (461) were married, 35.51 % (419) were university students and 63.73 % (752) were from the inside of the country. The 49.66% (586) presented anxiety symptoms and 47.20% (557) depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: a large proportion of the population presented anxious or depressive symptoms, which was seen in almost the same measure in both sexes, however, it occurred mainly at an older age and residents of the interior of the country.