Depression and anxiety among the University community during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study in Southern Brazil

Schuch, H. S.; Cademartori, M. G.; Dias, V. D.; Levandowski, M. L.; Munhoz, T. N.; Hallal, P. C.; Demarco, F. F.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted people routine in several ways, including the temporary cessation of face-to-face teaching activities, which may affect the mental health of the population. This study aimed to assess the mental health of the academic community of a University in South Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional web-based survey conducted between July-August 2020 through a self-administered online questionnaire. All University staff and students were eligible. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and anxiety by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. All analyses were stratified by academic or administrative staff, undergraduate and graduate students. Results: 2,785 individuals participated in the study. Prevalence of depression and anxiety were 39.2% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 37.3-41.1) and 52.5% (95% CI 50.6-54.4), respectively. On stratified analyses, undergraduate students showed a higher prevalence of the outcomes compared to other groups. In relation to social distancing, higher prevalence of mental illness was associated to strictly following the guidelines of authority and with not leaving the house routinely, but these associations were restricted to some subgroups. Mental health care and previous diagnosis of mental illness were associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression. Limitations: The main concerns were the representativeness of the sample and the response rate. Conclusions: An alarming prevalence of mental illness was observed in this academic community. Despite the well-known benefits of social distancing and quarantine to public health, it requires a special surveillance on the mental health of the population, especially students and those with previous mental illness diagnosis.