The psychological well-being of the Norwegian population during the covid-19 pandemic - a cross-sectional study
Translated title
Nordmenns psykiske velvære under covid-19 pandemien - en tverrsnittsundersøkelse
Authors
Eriksen, Julie ; Østerhus, Siri
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-05-28
Pages
119
Abstract
Dette studie undersøgte, hvordan COVID-19-pandemien påvirkede den mentale sundhed i Norge et år inde i pandemien. Vi målte symptomer på depression og angst, livskvalitet samt arbejds- og social funktionsevne og så på, hvordan disse forhold hang sammen. Vi undersøgte også, hvilke sociodemografiske kendetegn og graden af udskydelse (prokrastination) der var forbundet med psykisk trivsel. Vi gennemførte en tværsnitsundersøgelse som et online spørgeskema, der blev delt via Facebook (SurveyXact) fra 8. marts til 7. april. I alt svarede 2919 personer; 2114 indgik i de kvantitative analyser og 2249 i de kvalitative. Spørgeskemaet omfattede demografi; HSCL-25 (symptomer på angst og depression); WHO-5 (trivsel og livskvalitet); IPS (udskydelse/prokrastination); WSAS (arbejds- og social tilpasning); et spørgsmål om livstilfredshed; samt to åbne spørgsmål om positive og negative erfaringer under pandemien. 60 % af deltagerne lå over etablerede tærskelværdier for psykisk belastning, hvilket peger på et markant fald i mental trivsel sammenlignet med før COVID-19 og endda i forhold til studier gennemført få måneder før vores. Alle skalaer korrelerede med hinanden. Udskydelse viste den stærkeste sammenhæng med både depressions- og angstsymptomer og med livskvalitet. Lavere trivsel var især udbredt blandt kvinder, yngre voksne, enlige, personer med fysisk sygdom, personer med en psykisk diagnose og dem, der udskyder mere. De kvalitative svar fordelte sig i fire hovedtemaer: relationsliv, fritid, arbejds- og skoleliv samt trivsel/velbefindende. Der blev rapporteret både positive og negative erfaringer i alle områder, hvilket tyder på blandede virkninger af pandemien. Studiet har begrænsninger, bl.a. mulig skævhed fra online rekruttering og manglende oplysninger om visse vigtige livsområder. Alligevel bidrager det til den voksende opmærksomhed på pandemiens psykologiske konsekvenser og peger på en mulig mental pandemi. Fremtidig forskning bør undersøge resiliensfaktorer, mestringsstrategier og forskellige psykiske lidelser, søge en større andel mænd og gennemføre replikationer for at styrke grundlaget for at tilbyde støtte og ressourcer.
This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental health in Norway one year into the outbreak. We measured symptoms of depression and anxiety, quality of life, and work and social functioning, and explored how these factors related to each other. We also looked at which sociodemographic characteristics and levels of procrastination were linked to psychological well-being. We carried out a cross-sectional online survey distributed via Facebook (SurveyXact) from March 8 to April 7. In total, 2919 people responded; 2114 took part in the quantitative analyses and 2249 in the qualitative analyses. The questionnaire included demographics; the HSCL-25 (symptoms of anxiety and depression); the WHO-5 (well-being and quality of life); the IPS (procrastination); the WSAS (work and social adjustment); one item on life satisfaction; and two open-ended questions about positive and negative experiences during the pandemic. Sixty percent of respondents scored above established cut-offs for psychological distress, indicating a substantial drop in mental well-being compared with before COVID-19 and even compared with studies conducted only a few months earlier. All scales were correlated. Procrastination showed the strongest association with both depressive and anxiety symptoms and with quality of life. Lower well-being was especially common among women, younger adults, single people, those with a physical illness, those with a mental health diagnosis, and those who reported more procrastination. The qualitative answers clustered around four main topics: relational life, leisure time, work and school life, and well-being. People reported both positive and negative experiences in each area, suggesting that the pandemic had mixed effects. This study has limitations, including potential bias from online recruitment and missing information about some important life areas. Even so, it adds to growing evidence about the pandemic’s psychological consequences and points to a possible mental pandemic. Future research should examine resilience factors, coping strategies, and different mental illnesses, seek a larger sample of men, and carry out replications to strengthen the evidence base for providing support and resources.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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