Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety among General Population during COVID-19 Second Wave in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic had serious impact on people’s mental health in the 21st century. Mental disorders have inuenced economically on the society and have a dramatic eect on families too. This study aims to assess the eects of COVID-19 on psychological outcomes of pandemic and its associated risk factors on the general population of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted by distributing the questionnaires electronically in Saudi Arabia from 1st March 2021 to 30thApril, 2022. PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSQ-30 were used to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety among population. A total of 1532 participants completed the study. Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 25.1%, 42.5%, and 68.48%, respectively. Signicant predictors were Saudi nationals, young and single participants, less earning and respondents with no children. The mean depression score was signicantly higher in participants that had not been infected with COVID-19 and anyone who is not living with an infected person had scored signicantly. Conclusion: In this study, we disclosed a high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. In conclusion, COVID-19 is an epidemiological crisis that is casting a shadow on vulnerable population. Appropriate knowledge and specialized interventions must be accessible to promote the psychological health of the Saudi population.