The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic among Sudanese population in Khartoum state, 2020

Abstract: The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) extends beyond the physical domain. We aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of depression and anxiety in a sample of Sudanese citizens in Khartoum city. Depression and anxiety symptoms of 712 respondent were investigated using an online survey version of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and data on demographic characteristic, social media usage, financial stress, social support, quarantine status and COVID-19 infection were also collected. Depression and anxiety prevalence were found to be 78.2% and 65.3%, respectively. Comorbid depression/anxiety and anxiety/depression were found to be 78.6% and 94.2%, respectively. Old age, male gender, high social support and decreased financial stress were protective factors against depression and anxiety. Whereas increased time spent on social media for COVID-19 was a risk factor. A history of chronic illness, mental and quarantine were risk factors for depression only. Being a student and freelancer compared to unemployed and never exposed to COVID-19 on TV/radio were protective against anxiety only. It is suggested that further monitoring and interventions should be made for the mental health of the population.