Psychological distress among Greater Jakarta area residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and community containment

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging pandemic affecting the global population. Community-based quarantine can slow down the pandemic growth while adversely affecting population-wide psychological well-being. Affected psychological well-being could potentially influence population compliance in following stipulated community quarantine procedures.

Aim: The aim was to quantify psychological distress among Greater Jakarta area residents during the community containment period.

Objectives: The objective was to measure depression, anxiety, and stress levels using the Indonesian version of the DASS-21. Demographic data on sex, education strata, and working/productive-age group were also collected.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational analytic study employed an online questionnaire involving participants acquired through snowball sampling. The questionnaire comprises two parts: demographic data and psychological distress indicators. Linear regression evaluated psychological distress as a response variable.

Results: Among 1,205 women and 824 men, our findings suggested male sex, age in the range of 15-24 years, and having a bachelor's degree or professional qualification have a strong association with psychological distress.

Conclusion: By addressing the population at risk, policymakers can identify better countermeasures for preventing psychological distress.