The Prevalence of Pandemic Anxiety, Anxiety and Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey

Abstract

Background: This prevalence study involved participants from various cities in Turkey was conducted in April 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic in Turkey, with a view to evaluate the pandemic-related anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depression in the society. Method: The study was conducted with 1267 people in more than 70 cities in Turkey. The study data were obtained by means of online data collection forms, due to the risks posed by the contagious COVID-19 disease in face to face interviews. The Demographic Properties Form, the Utkan Pandemic Anxiety (UPA) scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care (BDI-PC) were utilized as data collection tools. Results: The average value for the UPA scale for the sample was calculated as 10.5 +/- 0.257 points, for the GAD-7 scale as 5.5 +/- 0.153 points, and for the BDI-PC as 3.8 +/- 0.095 points. The cut-off threshold for the UPA scale was exceeded by 34%, for the GAD-7 scale by 25.7%, and for the BDI-PC by 30.9% of the sample. Conclusion: It was concluded that the level of pandemic-related anxiety in the community was high, that the level of generalized anxiety and depression had increased in comparison to pre-pandemic times, and that women had a higher risk of pandemic-related anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depression, because they were a group at risk, and also due to the effect of media surveillance and reports.