Login Register Cart 0
Generic placeholder image

Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 2666-0822
ISSN (Online): 2666-0830

Back
Journal Home About Journal Editorial Board Current Issue Volumes/Issues
Subscribe
Research Article

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Unprecedented Malaysian Experience

Author(s): Zamalia Mahmud*, Rosli Abdul Rahim, Aida Wati Zainan Abidin and Nik Nairan Nik Abdullah

Volume 16, Issue 4, 2020

Page: [244 - 256] Pages: 13

DOI: 10.2174/2666082216666201013153842

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: The Movement Control Order (MCO) due to COVID-19 has brought people’s life to almost a standstill. How people across different ages and income groups are mentally and physically adjusting to the unprecedented situation in Malaysia is yet to be documented. Hence, an empirical study was conducted to capture this real-time situation during COVID-19 MCO.

Objective: To describe the mental and emotional wellbeing of Malaysians and how they care for themselves and their family during the COVID-19 pandemic and during MCO.

Methods: A survey on 3,288 respondents was conducted towards the end of the first phase of MCO. The questionnaire was administered through various online social media platforms using snowball and convenience sampling.

Results: About 90% of the respondents gave their priority to health needs and in providing food, shelter and clothing for their family, while education is at the bottom of their priority list. The overall index of mental wellbeing and emotional stability went beyond 57% up to 95%, indicating that people are mentally and emotionally disturbed with COVID-19. The index ranges between 49% up until 90% in the ability to care for themselves and family.

Conclusion: Health needs were at the top of the priority list of the high income group and least in the low income group. While for the low income group, the top most priority concerns their financial stability. Education was given the least priority by all income groups. Their greatest fear is the infection of COVID-19 that would harm their family’s health. They were also stressed with the COVID-19 pandemic that could affect the Malaysian economy and thus worried about losing their sources of income if this pandemic prolongs over an indefinite period.

Keywords: COVID-19, mental and emotional wellbeing, anxiety, health, MCO, pandemic.

« Previous Next »
Graphical Abstract

[1]
Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus. . chttps://www.who.int/
[2]
Sohrabi C, Alsafi Z, O’Neill N, et al. World Health Organization declares global emergency: a review of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Int J Surg 2020; 76: 71-6.www.elsevier.com/locate/ijsu
[3]
World Health Organiz ation. Q&A on Coronaviruses 2020. Available at:. https://www.who.int/
[4]
The New York Times. Here Comes The Coronovirus Pandemic: Now after many fire drills, the world may be facing a real fire. The Editorial Board. Available at:. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/opinion/sunday/corona-virus-usa.html
[5]
Vahia IV, Blazer DG, Smith GS, et al. COVID-19, mental health and aging: a need for new knowledge to bridge science and service. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2020; 28(7): 695-7.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.03.007] [PMID: 32278745]
[6]
Xiang YT, Yang Y, Li W, et al. Timely mental health care for the 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak is urgently needed. Lancet Psychiatry 2020; 7(3): 228-9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30046-8]
[7]
Rubin GJ, Wessely S. Coronavirus: the psychological effect of quarantining a city. The BMJ Opinion 2020. [https://blogs. bmj.com/bmj/2020/01/24/coronavirus-the-psychological-effects-of-quarantning-a-city/
[8]
Zhang J, Wu W, Zhao X, Zhang W. Recommended psychological crisis intervention response to the 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in China: a model of West China Hospital. Precision Clinical Medicine 2020; 3(1): 3-8.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pcmedi/pbaa006]
[9]
Li D, Zhang DJ, Shao JJ, Qi XD, Tian L. A meta-analysis of the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2014; 58(1): 1-9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2013.07.016] [PMID: 24001674]
[10]
Cao W, Fang Z, Hou G, et al. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Res 2020; 287112934
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934] [PMID: 32229390]
[11]
Cheng SKW, Wong CW, Tsang J, Wong KC. Psychological distress and negative appraisals in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Psychol Med 2004; 34(7): 1187-95.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291704002272] [PMID: 15697045]
[12]
Dodgen D, LaDue LR, Kaul RE. Coordinating a local response to a national tragedy: community mental health in Washington, DC after the Pentagon attack. Mil Med 2002; 167(9): 87-9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/milmed/167.Suppl_4.87] [PMID: 12363154]
[13]
Kuwahara K, Kuroda A, Fukuda Y. COVID-19: active measures to support community-dwelling older adults. Travel Med Infect Dis 2020; 36101638
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101638] [PMID: 32205272]
[14]
Zhou Y, Liang Y, Tong H, Liu Z. Patterns of posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among women after an earthquake: a latent profile. Asian J Psychiatr 2019; 51101834
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2019.10.014] [PMID: 31648926]
[15]
The Star. COVID-19: 208 new cases, death toll now at 50 2020. Available at:. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/04/02/COVID-19-208-new-cases-death-toll-now-at-50
[16]
The Star. Look after mental heallth during MCO 2020. Available at: . https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2020/04/14/look-after-mental-during-mco
[17]
The Star. It’s an emotional roller coster 2020. Available at:. https://www.headsup.org.au/your-mental-health/what-is-good-mental-health
[18]
Department of Statistics Malaysia Press Release Report of Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey 2016.Available at:. https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/pdfPrev&id=RUZ5REwveU1ra1hGL21JWVlPRmU2Zz09
[19]
Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Press Release Key Statistics of Labour Faorce in Malaysia 2020. Available at: . https://www.dosm. gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=124&bul_id=QVNxSFB6d2tOT0ZVck5CNUxWK1o4Zz09&menu_id=Tm8zcnRjdVRNWWlpWjRlbmtlaDk1UT09
[20]
Ott RL, Longnecker MT. An Introduction to statistical methods and data analysis. 7th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning 2015.
[21]
Ariffin WN. Introduction to sample size calculationEduc Med Journal 2013; 5(2)
[http://dx.doi.org/10.5959/eimj.v5i2.130]
[22]
United States Bureau of Labor Bulletin of Bureau of Labor, Issues 54-55. U.S: Government Printing Office 1986.
[23]
Rooshdi RRRM, Majid MZA, Sahamir SR, Ismail NAA. Relative importamnce index of sustainable design and construction activities criteria fro green highway. Chem Eng Trans 2018; 63: 151-6.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3303/CET1863026]
[24]
Fan F, Long K, Zhou Y, Zheng Y, Liu X. Longitudinal trajectories of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among adolescents after the Wenchuan earthquake in China. Psychol Med 2015; 45(13): 2885-96.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715000884] [PMID: 25990926]

Rights & Permissions Print Cite
Article Metrics
26
1
© 2024 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy