Anxiety and Loneliness Levels of Quarantined Citizens Who Brought from Abroad: An Example from Turkey

Etçioğlu, Erkut Aydın Abdülkadir Özen Feride Köse Elif Aydın Muhammet Raşit Muratdağı Gürkan Kılınçel Oğuzhan Kılınçel Şenay Hasan Çetin Ekerbiçer

Objective: The quarantine process implemented to prevent the spread of infection during the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic may negatively affect individuals. We aimed to evaluate the anxiety and loneliness levels of the quarantined individuals and determine the related factors. Materials and Methods: Two hundred ninety individuals who were brought to Turkey from abroad in May 2020, quarantined in Sakarya province, participated in our descriptive cross-sectional study. The loneliness and anxiety levels, along with the effects of the quarantine process, were evaluated. The sociodemographic information form prepared, Loneliness Scale (UCLA), State Anxiety Scale (STAI-1), and Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-2), were used to collect data. Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.32±9.86 years and 79.7% were male. Participants who stated that they had a mental illness before the pandemic and those who reported that they needed a mental health professional during the pandemic scored significantly higher in the UCLA, STAI-1, and STAI-2 scales compared to others. The UCLA and STAI-2 scores of participants with a high concern about contracting COVID-19 were higher than those with moderate and low levels of anxiety. The quarantine process did not significantly affect the UCLA, STAI-1, and STAI-2 scales of participants. Conclusion: Although quarantine was not found to affect anxiety and loneliness levels, it was observed that the basis of anxiety in highly anxious individuals was constituted by worry about themselves or loved ones contracting the disease and economic effects of the process.