Mental Health Status during COVID-19 Pandemic and its Relationship with Economic Hardship and Financial Threat among Rural Population in Sarawak, Malaysia
Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, job and income loss, social isolation may aggravate mental health, particularly among the most vulnerable groups. Objective To assess the current mental health situation among the rural population in Samarahan district and determine the relationship between...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kathmandu University
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/42653/1/Mental.pdf http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/42653/ http://www.kumj.com.np/index.php?page=searchResult |
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| Summary: | Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, job and income loss, social isolation may aggravate mental health, particularly among the most vulnerable groups.
Objective To assess the current mental health situation among the rural population in Samarahan district and determine the relationship between economic hardships,
financial threats, and mental health status.
Method This study was a cross-sectional study conducted among the 530 households in the Samarahan district. A multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select
the participants in this study. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire. The mental health status was assessed by using a validated
and translated DASS-21 scale. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 27.0. A p-value of ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant.
Result
Analysis showed that two-thirds of the respondents (66.6%) had no mental health problem. Meanwhile, 22.4% had anxiety, 1% had depression, and 0.19% had stress.
Anxiety and depression accounted for 5.8% and stress and anxiety 1.3%. However, 2.64% had stress, anxiety, and depression. In bivariate analysis, age, monthly
income, type of job, economic hardship, and expenditure difference appeared to be significant predictors of mental health problems (p < .05).
Conclusion
Depression, anxiety, and stress pose a significant threat to the rural population’s health. Therefore, public health practitioners and policymakers need to address this to minimise the pandemic’s impact on mental health and provide psychological support, particularly among the most affected group. |
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