COVID-19 Fear Association with Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia: A National Web-Based Survey on the General Population

Samaneh Akbarpour; Amin  Nakhostin-Ansari; Khosro Sadeghniiat Haghighi; Farnaz Etesam; Zahra Banafsheh Alemohammad; Faezeh Aghajani; Arezu Najafi

doi:10.18502/ijps.v17i1.8046

Samaneh Akbarpour Sleep Breathing Disorders Research Center (SBDRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Amin Nakhostin-Ansari Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Khosro Sadeghniiat Haghighi Sleep Breathing Disorders Research Center (SBDRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Farnaz Etesam Baharloo Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Zahra Banafsheh Alemohammad Sleep Breathing Disorders Research Center (SBDRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Faezeh Aghajani School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Arezu Najafi Sleep Breathing Disorders Research Center (SBDRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v17i1.8046

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Fear; Insomnia

Abstract

Objective: COVID-19 pandemic has influenced almost every country worldwide. Being in a pandemic situation can cause psychological distress to people, which can lead to sleep disorders. The present study aimed to assess prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia among Iranian people and their relations with COVID-19 fear in the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: A cross-sectional and population-based online study was designed. We created an online form and used Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2 scale (GAD-2), Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), to assess fear of COVID-19, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, respectively. We sent the link to the online survey to Iranians interested in participating in the study via social media, and 1223 Iranian completed the form.

Results: A total of 1223 individuals with a mean age of 39.82 ± 10.75 years participated in the study. Prevalence of insomnia, depression and anxiety among our participants were 55.2%, 61.5%, and 50.9%, respectively. The mean FCV-19 score among the participants was 19.70 ± 5.08. Insomnia was more common among those who were 50 years or older. Fear of COVID-19 was related to a more risk of progression toward depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Conclusion: Fear of COVID-19 has a considerable association with depression, anxiety, and insomnia in the pandemic, and strategies to reasonably decrease people’s fears can help to reduce incidence of psychological issues during the pandemic.