The prevalence of depressive symptoms among adults living in the UAE
during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
Aim: To investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms among
adults living in the UAE during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods:
This cross-sectional study used a self-administered anonymous online
questionnaire distributed in both Arabic and English via social media
platforms. A total of 261 adults living in the UAE were included in the
study. Patients clinically diagnosed with depression were excluded from
this study. Results: Overall, the prevalence of depression
among our studied population was 63%. Several parameters were
correlated with depression to assess their associations. A lower
household income was found to be linked to a greater likelihood of
developing depression, as 74.6% of depressed subjects had an income
lower than 20,000 Dhs (p=0.003). Age also had a significant
correlation[](https://d.docs.live.net/c230006d1f964528/%D8%B3%D8%B7%D8%AD%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A8/Covid-19%20and%20depression%20-%20second%20draft%20-%20AK%20comments%5b1%5d.docx)(95%
CI, p=0.003) with depression, and those in the younger age group (18-25
years) had a greater prevalence of depression than did those in the
older age group. Difficulty performing daily activities, restless sleep,
feeling lonely, feeling sad, feeling inadequate, and losing hope were
the most commonly reported symptoms in depressed subjects. A total of
78.21% of our participants did not know about hotlines when they were
depressed; however, this difference was not statistically significant
(95% CI, p=0.178). Conclusions: Depression was prevalent in
63% of our participants. A lower household income and younger age were
associated with a greater risk of depression. We believe that our
findings will encourage institutions and government authorities to
implement awareness programs about depression awareness and screening
for depression.