Impacto de la pandemia COVID-19 en la salud mental de la población general

Abstract

Introduction. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Strict public health measures were established to prevent the spread of the virus, which can affect the mental health of the general population. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the emotions and mental health of patients, in a level one non-governmental medical center in Costa Rica between October 2 and December 30, 2020. Methodology. 279 patients participated, of which only 272 were used for data analysis. The patient was defined as the person who sought medical treatment at said medical center on the same day of questioning. A multiple choice questionnaire was used as an instrument and it consisted of a total of four questions. Results. The results showed that negative emotions were prevalent among the respondents (63.23%) and the majority (63.38%) of the respondents also stated that their mental health had been affected by the pandemic. Women between 26 and 40 were found to be the most affected population group. Discussion. The results were consistent with those of previous outbreaks and epidemics, as well as current studies addressing mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies are recommended to determine the long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Costa Ricans.