Revisiting the World's Strictest COVID-19 Lockdown: Formidable Mental Health Challenges.

INTRODUCTION: Many nations have implemented lockdowns to prevent and minimize the spread of infections in healthcare settings. However, the impact of lockdown duration on mental health remains controversial. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using online questionnaires to assess the mental health status of the general population during the Shanghai lockdown period from March to May 2022. The mental health of the participants was evaluated by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), in which a cut-off score of 12 or more indicated psychological distress. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between lockdown duration and mental health. RESULTS: Among 2139 participants (mean age: 26.12 years, standard deviation: 6.37, 731 females; 1378 unmarried; 1099 Shanghai residents), approximately 47% reported psychological distress (GHQ-12≥12). Participants exposed to lockdown reported significantly higher GHQ-12 scores (11.93±6.81 vs. 8.73±6.35, p<0.001). In our logistic regression model, participants who experienced the longest lockdown (43-61 days) had a significantly higher risk of psychological distress compared with those who did not (odds ratio: 3.10, 95% confidence interval: 2.06-4.70, p<0.001). DISCUSSION: Lockdown duration significantly affects mental health, with longer lockdown duration being associated with worse mental health status. The relationship between lockdown and mental health should not be neglected in case of lockdown in response to future pandemics.

The negative impact of loneliness and perceived stress on mental health during two-month lockdown in Shanghai.

BACKGROUND: Shanghai undergone COVID-19 lockdown for 2 months in 2022, affecting >25 million population. We aim to find changes in mental health during Shanghai lockdown and if mental health was associated with Shanghai lockdown, loneliness, and perceived stress. METHODS: We conducted two cross-sectional online surveys in China, which were before and at the end of Shanghai lockdown (survey 1 in January 2022, N = 1123; survey 2 in June 2022, N = 2139). Participants reported mental health, loneliness, and perceived stress through the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). We compared data between survey 1 and 2. We ran a multiple linear regression model to investigate the impact of Shanghai lockdown, loneliness and perceived stress on mental health. RESULTS: There's an increase in the proportion of lonely people during Shanghai lockdown (49.77 % to 65.26 %). During Shanghai lockdown, the proportion of lonely people (68.97 % VS. 61.35 %, p < 0.001) and risk for mental health conditions (50.50 % VS. 43.27 %, p < 0.001) were higher among residents in Shanghai than outside Shanghai. Shanghai lockdown (b = 0.556, p = 0.02), higher ULS-8 (b = 0.284, p < 0.001) and higher PSS-10 (b = 0.365, p < 0.001) were associated with higher GHQ-12. LIMITATIONS: Participants reported their mental health status during Shanghai lockdown retrospectively. CONCLUSION: Shanghai lockdown had psychological impacts not only on residents in Shanghai but also outside Shanghai. Addressing loneliness and perceived stress accommodated to the lockdown situation should be considered.