Assessing Mental Health Outcomes in Quarantine Centres: A Cross-Sectional Study during COVID-19 in Malaysia

During the COVID-19 pandemic, persons under surveillance (PUS) were isolated in quarantine centres instead of at home. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the mental health issues experienced by these persons. This study aimed to assess mental health outcomes and associated factors among PUS and frontline workers at quarantine centres. This study conducted an analysis of secondary data from a cross-sectional survey carried out by the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS). The MHPSS employed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to evaluate mental health outcomes across 49 quarantine centres in Malaysia. The study included a total of 4577 respondents. The prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression was found to be 0.9%, 11.4%, and 10.2%, respectively. Frontline workers and being part of the younger age group were found to be associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Other factors associated with mental health issues were being female, staying at an institution-type centre, and a longer duration of the stay or work at the centre. In conclusion, assessing the mental health status and its associated factors among quarantine centre occupants is crucial for developing future strategies to safeguard their mental well-being.

[1]  S. Al-Adawi,et al.  Psychometric Properties of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) in a Sample of Health Care Workers in Oman , 2022, Journal of Affective Disorders Reports.

[2]  Wilco W. van Dijk,et al.  The role of financial stress in mental health changes during COVID-19 , 2022, npj Mental Health Research.

[3]  N. Skokauskas,et al.  Reasons and trends in youth's suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic , 2022, The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific.

[4]  R. R. Marzo,et al.  Psychometric properties of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) among Malaysians during COVID-19: a methodological study , 2022, Humanities & social sciences communications.

[5]  M. P. Matud,et al.  Gender differences in mental distress and affect balance during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Spain , 2022, Current Psychology.

[6]  M. El-Setouhy,et al.  The Psychological Impact of Quarantine During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Quarantined Non-Healthcare Workers, Quarantined Healthcare Workers, and Medical Staff at the Quarantine Facility in Saudi Arabia , 2022, Psychology research and behavior management.

[7]  S. Schurer,et al.  Effect of lockdown on mental health in Australia: evidence from a natural experiment analysing a longitudinal probability sample survey , 2022, The Lancet Public Health.

[8]  V. Conti,et al.  Gender Differences in the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health of Italian Academic Workers , 2022, Journal of personalized medicine.

[9]  Akmal Khudaykulov,et al.  The fear of COVID-19 and job insecurity impact on depression and anxiety: An empirical study in China in the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath , 2022, Current psychology.

[10]  Mei Yang,et al.  Impact of Gender Difference on Anxiety in COVID-19 Patients in Quarantine Wards , 2022, Frontiers in Psychiatry.

[11]  S. Pratt,et al.  Affective and Coping Responses to Quarantine Hotel Stays. , 2022, Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress.

[12]  G. Serafini,et al.  Gender Differences in COVID-19 Lockdown Impact on Mental Health of Undergraduate Students , 2022, Frontiers in Psychiatry.

[13]  S. Pardhan,et al.  Financial Difficulties Correlate With Mental Health Among Bangladeshi Residents Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Survey , 2021, Frontiers in Psychiatry.

[14]  Ozgur Gocer,et al.  Quarantine Hotels: The Adaptation of Hotels for Quarantine Use in Australia , 2021, Buildings.

[15]  Sibel Şentürk,et al.  The Relationship Between the Fear of COVID-19 in the Elderly Aged 65 Years and Over and Their Levels of Adaptation to the “New Normal”: A Cross-Sectional Study , 2021, Omega.

[16]  W. C. Ang,et al.  Knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19 and perceived challenges of working during the movement control order: a quantitative analysis among healthcare workers in a Malaysian northwestern state , 2021, Current medical research and opinion.

[17]  V. Venketaraman,et al.  Analysis of the Delta Variant B.1.617.2 COVID-19 , 2021, Clinics and practice.

[18]  S. Kolakowsky-Hayner,et al.  Psychosocial Impacts of the COVID-19 Quarantine: A Study of Gender Differences in 59 Countries , 2021, Medicina.

[19]  Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting,et al.  Cultural Responses to Covid-19 Pandemic: Religions, Illness Perception, and Perceived Stress , 2021, Frontiers in Psychology.

[20]  Paulo J C Suen,et al.  Prevalence and risk factors of psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the ELSA-Brasil COVID-19 mental health cohort , 2021, Psychological Medicine.

[21]  I. S. Omar,et al.  Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey , 2021, PloS one.

[22]  S. Coe,et al.  The Impact of Lockdown During the COVID-19 Outbreak on Dietary Habits in Various Population Groups: A Scoping Review , 2021, Frontiers in Nutrition.

[23]  M. Beutel,et al.  Similarities and Differences of Mental Health in Women and Men: A Systematic Review of Findings in Three Large German Cohorts , 2021, Frontiers in Public Health.

[24]  Y. Bao,et al.  The impact of quarantine on mental health status among general population in China during the COVID-19 pandemic , 2021, Molecular Psychiatry.

[25]  Natalie J. Shook,et al.  COVID-19 worries and mental health: the moderating effect of age , 2020, Aging & mental health.

[26]  F. Thibaut,et al.  Women's Mental Health in the Time of Covid-19 Pandemic , 2020, Frontiers in Global Women's Health.

[27]  Laura K. Taylor,et al.  Increased Psychological Distress during COVID-19 and Quarantine in Ireland: A National Survey , 2020, Journal of clinical medicine.

[28]  N. M. Roslan,et al.  High Risk Health Behavior among Malaysian Adolescents: A Comparison between Gender , 2020 .

[29]  Christopher J. Hand,et al.  Changes in Diet, Sleep, and Physical Activity Are Associated With Differences in Negative Mood During COVID-19 Lockdown , 2020, Frontiers in Psychology.

[30]  S. Sockalingam,et al.  Mental health interventions and supports during COVID- 19 and other medical pandemics: A rapid systematic review of the evidence , 2020, General Hospital Psychiatry.

[31]  Renz Louis T. Montano,et al.  Covid stress predicts depression, anxiety and stress symptoms of Filipino respondents , 2020 .

[32]  C. Pieh,et al.  The effect of age, gender, income, work, and physical activity on mental health during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown in Austria , 2020, Journal of Psychosomatic Research.

[33]  Senhu Wang,et al.  Prevalence and predictors of general psychiatric disorders and loneliness during COVID-19 in the United Kingdom , 2020, Psychiatry Research.

[34]  K. Tang.  Movement control as an effective measure against Covid-19 spread in Malaysia: an overview , 2020, Journal of Public Health.

[35]  Maria Dosil Santamaria,et al.  Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in People Aged Over 60 in the COVID-19 Outbreak in a Sample Collected in Northern Spain , 2020, The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

[36]  H. Sacre,et al.  Association between eating behavior and quarantine/confinement stressors during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak , 2020, Journal of Eating Disorders.

[37]  A. Sultana,et al.  Epidemiology of mental health problems in COVID-19: a review , 2020, F1000Research.

[38]  M. Hasan,et al.  The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health & wellbeing among home-quarantined Bangladeshi students: A cross-sectional pilot study , 2020, Journal of Affective Disorders.

[39]  H. Ahmed,et al.  Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in COVID-19 Outbreak , 2020 .

[40]  Vijay K. Sharma,et al.  A multinational, multicentre study on the psychological outcomes and associated physical symptoms amongst healthcare workers during COVID-19 outbreak , 2020, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

[41]  Yongseok Shin,et al.  Inequality of Fear and Self-Quarantine: Is There a Trade-Off between GDP and Public Health? , 2020, Journal of Public Economics.

[42]  G. Rubin,et al.  The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence , 2020, The Lancet.

[43]  T. Soni,et al.  Construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the Malay version of the 21-item depression anxiety stress scale (Malay-DASS-21) among male outpatient clinic attendees in Johor. , 2017, The Medical journal of Malaysia.

[44]  J. Chae,et al.  Mental health status of people isolated due to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome , 2016, Epidemiology and health.

[45]  A. Donnelly,et al.  Eaten up by boredom: consuming food to escape awareness of the bored self , 2015, Front. Psychol..

[46]  Nathalie E. Williams,et al.  Gender, Traumatic Events, and Mental Health Disorders in a Rural Asian Setting , 2013, Journal of health and social behavior.

[47]  R. Musa,et al.  CONCURRENT VALIDITY OF THE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY COMPONENTS IN THE BAHASA MALAYSIA VERSION OF THE DEPRESSION ANXIETY AND STRESS SCALES (DASS). , 2011 .

[48]  M. Ramli,et al.  Validation and Psychometric Properties of Bahasa Malaysia Version of the Depression Anxiety And Stress Scales (DASS) Among Diabetic Patients , 2009 .

[49]  E. Susser,et al.  The Psychological Impact of the SARS Epidemic on Hospital Employees in China: Exposure, Risk Perception, and Altruistic Acceptance of Risk , 2009, Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie.

[50]  Ya-Mei Bai,et al.  Survey of stress reactions among health care workers involved with the SARS outbreak. , 2004, Psychiatric services.

[51]  C. Haddad.  Association between eating behavior and quarantine / con � nement stressors during the Coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak , 2020 .

[52]  P. Lovibond,et al.  Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. 2 , 1995 .