Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the health professionals (COMET-HP) study: depression, suicidal tendencies and conspiracism.

INTRODUCTION: The current study aimed to investigate the rates of anxiety, clinical depression, and suicidality and their changes in health professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data came from the larger COMET-G study. The study sample includes 12,792 health professionals from 40 countries (62.40% women aged 39.76 ± 11.70; 36.81% men aged 35.91 ± 11.00 and 0.78% non-binary gender aged 35.15 ± 13.03). Distress and clinical depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm, respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses, and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. RESULTS: Clinical depression was detected in 13.16% with male doctors and 'non-binary genders' having the lowest rates (7.89 and 5.88% respectively) and 'non-binary gender' nurses and administrative staff had the highest (37.50%); distress was present in 15.19%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics, and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (24.64% vs. 9.62%; p < 0.0001). Suicidal tendencies were at least doubled in terms of RASS scores. Approximately one-third of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop clinical depression was associated with a history of Bipolar disorder (RR = 4.23). CONCLUSIONS: The current study reported findings in health care professionals similar in magnitude and quality to those reported earlier in the general population although rates of clinical depression, suicidal tendencies, and adherence to conspiracy theories were much lower. However, the general model of factors interplay seems to be the same and this could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable.

COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Life Habits in the Canadian Population.

Objectives: The study aims to investigate the rate of clinical depression in the adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the changes in anxiety, distress, suicidal ideation, and their relations with several personal and interpersonal/social variables. Methods: This is an epidemiological, non-interventional study. It is part of an international multi-center study, with the main site at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in Greece (COMET-G Study). We are presenting aspects of the research involving the Canadian site, based on 508 Canadian responders to the online survey (QAIRE). Results: Of the 508 responders, 72.2% were females aged 42.57 ± 14.00 years; 27.2% were males aged 42.24 ± 15.49 years; and 0.6% were others aged 46.33 ± 17.79 years. Increased anxiety during the lockdown was reported by 69.3% of those surveyed. The rate of suicidal thoughts increased in 19.5% of participants during the lockdown. Depression was reported by 22% of responders, while distress was present in 18.4%. We found a greater prevalence of depression, but not distress, in individuals with a history of any mental disorder. Based on the multiple regression analysis, we found four CORE factors equally influencing the changes in mental health during the lockdown (gender, quality of sleep, family conflicts, and changes in daily routine). In the Canadian population, two major changes acted as protective factors, significantly expressed when compared with the worldwide tendencies: fewer financial difficulties; and an increase in religious beliefs. Conclusion: The rate of major depression, distress, and suicidal ideation was higher in Canadians than in the worldwide population (per COMET-G), but the relative risk to develop depression in the presence of a history of mental disorders was lower. Almost 90% of Canadians believed in the real story of COVID source of provenience.