Effects of the health emergency due to COVID-19 on the mental health of men and women from zone 3 of Ecuador

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is highly transmissible and causes the coronavirus disease called COVID-19, it can be lethal, and because of the alarming levels of spread, it has been considered a pandemic in 2020. For this reason, confinement and social distancing measures that could cause psychological problems were applied worldwide. The study aimed to analyze how the isolation measures to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have affected the emotional state of men and women from zone 3 of Ecuador, which includes Tungurahua, Chimborazo Cotopaxi, and Pastaza provinces. Hence, a cross-sectional study was carried out on 348 persons. Two forms were used, which were the Scale for Mood Assessment [EVEA] and the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale. There were statistical differences in the emotional symptoms of depression and hostility compared to studies carried out before the pandemic. When the population was evaluated with the Goldberg anxiety and depression scale, 59.2% showed signs of anxiety and 54.8% depression. Considering the sex variable, the EVEA scale score in women (depression: 3.79; anxiety: 4.19) presented significantly higher values than in men (depression: 2.77; anxiety: 3.33). On the Goldberg scale also women (depression: 2.84; anxiety: 4.9) reported higher scores than men (depression: 2.13; anxiety: 3.50), these results showed that the female sex showed greater emotional deterioration.