Psychological problems in general population during covid-19 pandemic in Pakistan: role of cognitive emotion regulation

• Published in: Annals of medicine (Helsinki) 2021-01, Vol.53 (1), p.189-196
• Main Authors: Riaz, Maryam, Abid, Mueen, Bano, Zaqia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety - diagnosis; Anxiety - epidemiology; Child; cognitive emotion regulation; COVID-19 - psychology; Covid-19 pandemic; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - epidemiology; Emotional Regulation; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pakistan - epidemiology; Pandemics; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; regression; SARS-CoV-2; Severity of Illness Index; Stress, Psychological - diagnosis; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0785-3890; 1365-2060; 1365-2060
• DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2020.1853216

To explore psychological problems (Anxiety, Depression and Stress) in general population during Covid-19 pandemic. To find predictive effects of cognitive emotion regulation on psychological problems. Convenient sampling technique was used to obtain the sample of 500 participants (Male = 239, Female = 261). Research instrument consists of four parts. First part comprised of consent form, second part was about demographic profile, third part was Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS-21) while Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was the last part of the instrument. SPSS 23.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version was used for study analysis. Descriptive statistics used to summarize the raw data. The inferential statistics such as regression, correlation and t-test were used to calculate the findings according to research objectives. Results indicated that 33%, 40% and 27% individuals were experiencing Depression, Anxiety and Stress respectively during Covid-19 pandemic. Among these participants, 48% (N = 242) were experiencing normal level of all these targeted psychological problems while remaining 52% (N = 258) respondents have mild to very severe level of all these disorders. Furthermore, findings of linear regression analysis illustrated that cognitive emotion regulation significantly predicts psychological problems [R 2 =.216; F = 51.223, p < .01] and 21% variation in psychological problems is due to cognitive emotion regulation. This study recommended that policy makers must develop and implement some necessary programmes to prevent and cure people from devastating psychological and mental health consequences of covid-19 on priority basis.