Heliyon
Volume 7, Issue 2, February 2021, e06289
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Research article
Psychological distress among Greater Jakarta area residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and community containment

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06289Get rights and content
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Abstract

Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging pandemic affecting the global population. Community-based quarantine can slow down the pandemic growth while adversely affecting population-wide psychological well-being. Affected psychological well-being could potentially influence population compliance in following stipulated community quarantine procedures.

Aim

The aim was to quantify psychological distress among Greater Jakarta area residents during the community containment period.

Objectives

The objective was to measure depression, anxiety, and stress levels using the Indonesian version of the DASS-21. Demographic data on sex, education strata, and working/productive-age group were also collected.

Methods

This cross-sectional observational analytic study employed an online questionnaire involving participants acquired through snowball sampling. The questionnaire comprises two parts: demographic data and psychological distress indicators. Linear regression evaluated psychological distress as a response variable.

Results

Among 1,205 women and 824 men, our findings suggested male sex, age in the range of 15-24 years, and having a bachelor's degree or professional qualification have a strong association with psychological distress.

Conclusion

By addressing the population at risk, policymakers can identify better countermeasures for preventing psychological distress.

Keywords

Community quarantine
COVID-19
DASS-21
Psychological distress

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