The COVID-19 pandemic and serious psychological consequences in Bangladesh: A population-based nationwide study

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 279; pp. 462 - 472
• Main Authors: Mamun, Mohammed A., Sakib, Najmuj, Gozal, David, Bhuiyan, AKM Israfil, Hossain, Sahadat, Bodrud-Doza, Md, Al Mamun, Firoj, Hosen, Ismail, Safiq, Mariam Binte, Abdullah, Abu Hasnat, Sarker, Md. Abedin, Rayhan, Istihak, Sikder, Md. Tajuddin, Muhit, Mohammad, Lin, Chung-Ying, Griffiths, Mark D., Pakpour, Amir H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15-01-2021; The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety - epidemiology; Bangladesh - epidemiology; Bangladeshi people; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Male; Pandemics; Prevalence; Psychological impact; Research Paper; SARS-CoV-2; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Suicidal Ideation; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Bangladesh; COVID-19; Depression; Psychological impact; Suicidal ideation; Bangladeshi people
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.10.036

•Bangladesh has almost no country-representative researches addressing COVID-19 related mental health problems•5.0% suicidal ideation and 33.3% depression was reported from this nationwide study•The risk factors for both depression and suicidal ideation included - younger age, female, smoker, comorbidities and insomnia•Other COVID-19 related risk factors were its’ poor knowledge and greater fear, and not engaging in its preventive behaviors•GIS mapping presented district-wise distributions of depression and suicidal ideation.
As with other countries worldwide, lockdown measures during the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh were sudden and unexpected, and have the capacity to elicit serious psychological consequences. The present study examined the psychological consequences of COVID-19 in Bangladesh during the lockdown period.
A nationwide online cross-sectional survey study recruited 10,067 individuals covering all 64 districts in Bangladesh via social media (April 1-10, 2020). The survey comprised questions concerning socio-demographics, knowledge of COVID-19, behavior towards COVID-19, fear of COVID-19, insomnia, depression, and suicidal ideation. Logistic regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were performed to identify the risk factors depression and suicidal ideation. Geographical information system (GIS)-based spatial analysis was used to identify district-wise susceptibility to depression and suicidal ideation.
The prevalence rate of depression and suicidal ideation related to COVID-19 was 33% and 5%%. Common risk factors for suicidal ideation and depression included being young, being female, being a cigarette smoker, having comorbid diseases, having high scores on the Fear COVID-19 Scale, and having insomnia symptoms. GIS-based maps detected high depression and suicidal ideation in the capital of Bangladesh and the districts near the capital as well as coastal areas where COVID-19 prevalence was high, as compared with districts with no reported cases.
Self-reported scales and cross-sectional design of the study.
COVID-19 is associated with major psychological impact across Bangladesh, underlining the need of strategically located psychological support measures and improved access to mental health services, especially among women and younger people.