Perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among the tunisian population. (13th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Regaieg, N.; Baati, I.; Elleuch, M.; Hentati, S.; Masmoudi, J.
• Is Part Of: European psychiatry. Volume 64:Supplement 1(2021)
• Page Start: S287
• Page End: S287
• Publication Date: 2021-04-13
• Subjects: perceived stress -- COVID-19 -- PSS10 -- psychological stress; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Mental illness -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.770
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0924-9338

Abstract

Abstract : Introduction: Documenting Tunisian' stress responses to an unprecedented pandemic is essential for mental health interventions and policy-making. Objectives: To describe the perceived stress generated by the Covid-19 epidemic and confinement among the Tunisian people. Methods: Participants had to fill out a questionnaire including epidemiological data and the Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS10), which is the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the stress perception. Individual scores can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress. Results: Our study included 121 subjects, of which 70.6% were women.They had an average age of 36.52 years and a history of psychiatric disorders in 13.1% of cases, such as anxiety disorders (10.4%), depressive disorders (5.9%) and obsessive compulsive disorders (2.3%). More than one in two participants (61.4%) reported the presence of sleep disorders. Regarding medical history, participants declared having asthma (5%), diabetes (1.8%), high blood pressure (3.6%), and a chronic disease with corticosteroid treatment (5%). The mean PSS score was 16.96. This last was correlated to age (p<0.001), female gender (p<0.001), primary or secondary school level (p=0.03), a history of anxiety (p<0.001) and depressive disorders (p<0.001), and to sleep disorders (p<0.001). Conclusions: The stress level among the Tunisian people during the Covid-19 pandemic was very close to that observed in other countries, deserving special attention especially among vulnerable populations.