Association of COVID-19-related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency: A cross-sectional study.
<h4>Background</h4>Caregivers of young children may have been particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its negative impacts on their housing, finances, and childcare demands. This study explored the associations between COVID-19-related expe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314409 |
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| author | Saeun Park Paul Bangirana Ezekiel Mupere Reagan I Baluku Erika S Helgeson Sarah E Cusick |
| author_facet | Saeun Park Paul Bangirana Ezekiel Mupere Reagan I Baluku Erika S Helgeson Sarah E Cusick |
| author_sort | Saeun Park |
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| description | <h4>Background</h4>Caregivers of young children may have been particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its negative impacts on their housing, finances, and childcare demands. This study explored the associations between COVID-19-related experiences and symptoms of depression and anxiety among Ugandan caregivers.<h4>Methods</h4>This cross-sectional study included 100 Ugandan caregivers of young children aged 6-59 months with uncomplicated malaria and iron deficiency (N = 85) and without malaria or anemia (N = 15) who were enrolled in the Optimizing Iron Status in Malaria-Endemic Areas (OptiM) study. Sociodemographic data and COVID-19 experiences were collected using an internally developed survey and symptoms of depression and anxiety were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-20) scale. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the associations between COVID-19 survey scores with HSCL-25 or CESD-20 scores.<h4>Results</h4>Nearly half of caregivers reported clinically meaningful symptoms of depression (46%) and/or anxiety (49%). Caregivers had more severe symptoms of depression and/or anxiety if they experienced greater changes in living situations or decreases in physical activity (CESD-20: β = 3.35, 95% CI [1.00, 5.70], p = .01), food insecurity (HSCL-25: β = 3.25, 95% CI [0.41, 6.10], p = .03, CESD-25: β = 3.09, 95% CI [0.79, 5.39], p = .01), and domestic violence (HSCL-25: β = 3.82, 95% CI [0.94, 6.70], p = .01) during COVID-19. These associations did not vary depending on whether the caregivers had children with malaria.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Negative COVID-19 experiences were significantly associated with more severe depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers, regardless of their children's malaria status. Urgent attention and action are needed to support the mental well-being of this vulnerable population. Further prospective studies should investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 on caregivers and their children. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6629cb723f5c41a29031ac7cb0ecc2a2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
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| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-6629cb723f5c41a29031ac7cb0ecc2a22025-01-08T05:33:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-011912e031440910.1371/journal.pone.0314409Association of COVID-19-related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency: A cross-sectional study.Saeun ParkPaul BangiranaEzekiel MupereReagan I BalukuErika S HelgesonSarah E Cusick<h4>Background</h4>Caregivers of young children may have been particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its negative impacts on their housing, finances, and childcare demands. This study explored the associations between COVID-19-related experiences and symptoms of depression and anxiety among Ugandan caregivers.<h4>Methods</h4>This cross-sectional study included 100 Ugandan caregivers of young children aged 6-59 months with uncomplicated malaria and iron deficiency (N = 85) and without malaria or anemia (N = 15) who were enrolled in the Optimizing Iron Status in Malaria-Endemic Areas (OptiM) study. Sociodemographic data and COVID-19 experiences were collected using an internally developed survey and symptoms of depression and anxiety were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-20) scale. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the associations between COVID-19 survey scores with HSCL-25 or CESD-20 scores.<h4>Results</h4>Nearly half of caregivers reported clinically meaningful symptoms of depression (46%) and/or anxiety (49%). Caregivers had more severe symptoms of depression and/or anxiety if they experienced greater changes in living situations or decreases in physical activity (CESD-20: β = 3.35, 95% CI [1.00, 5.70], p = .01), food insecurity (HSCL-25: β = 3.25, 95% CI [0.41, 6.10], p = .03, CESD-25: β = 3.09, 95% CI [0.79, 5.39], p = .01), and domestic violence (HSCL-25: β = 3.82, 95% CI [0.94, 6.70], p = .01) during COVID-19. These associations did not vary depending on whether the caregivers had children with malaria.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Negative COVID-19 experiences were significantly associated with more severe depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers, regardless of their children's malaria status. Urgent attention and action are needed to support the mental well-being of this vulnerable population. Further prospective studies should investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 on caregivers and their children.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314409 |
| spellingShingle | Saeun Park Paul Bangirana Ezekiel Mupere Reagan I Baluku Erika S Helgeson Sarah E Cusick Association of COVID-19-related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency: A cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE |
| title | Association of COVID-19-related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_full | Association of COVID-19-related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_fullStr | Association of COVID-19-related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association of COVID-19-related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_short | Association of COVID-19-related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in Ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_sort | association of covid 19 related perceptions and experiences with depression and anxiety in ugandan caregivers of young children with malaria and iron deficiency a cross sectional study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314409 |
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