Association between corona disease anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder with quality of life among the general population: a cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the life of the general population potentially leading to various psychological problems which affect the quality of life and causes disruption in various dimensions of performance. It is necessary to provide evidence on its psychological effects to develop effective psychological interventions. The present study aimed to investigate the association between corona disease anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and quality of life among the general population.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 adults living in Urmia city, Iran. Data were collected using a standard electronic questionnaire that consisted of four sections: demographic information, Corona Disease Anxiety Scale, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and 12-item Short-Form Health Survey, which were sent through WhatsApp to participants. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software using descriptive and analytical statistics.

The mean scores of corona disease anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and quality of life were 16.03 ± 11.12, 31.64 ± 18.78, and 66.12 ± 22.83, respectively. Corona disease anxiety (p value < 0.001, β = -0.396) and post-traumatic stress disorder (p value < 0.001, β = -0.225) were predictors of quality of life among the general population of Urmia

The level of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder caused by COVID-19 was slightly lower than the moderate level among the general population of Urmia. The coronavirus is not the first virus that threatens humanity, and it will not be the last virus either. Therefore, communities should utilize effective strategies to protect themselves and others and interact better with each other in order to control and minimize the psychological consequences of disease outbreaks.