Mental Health Burden and Resilience among Nigerians undergoing COVID-19 Isolation in Kaduna-Nigeria

Background: The coronavirus pandemic and Its “pandemic-fear,” is expected to come with lots of mental health challenges. Despites several global health vanguards sounding this alarm, there is paucity of systematic analysis of mental health distress and resilience being experienced by individuals undergoing treatments in isolation centres for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).Objectives: This study evaluated the pattern of mental distress and resilience in COVID-19 patients undergoing isolation-care in some treatment facility in Kaduna-Nigeria.Method: Data were collected cross-sectionally from 261 participants. These were sociodemographic and clinical variables, measures of mental distress (i.e. depression and anxiety), and well-being (i.e. resilience). Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 21.Results: The mean age of participants was 35.6 years (SD = 11.1), with majority being males (73.6%) and without prior chronic medical condition (73.9%). Mental distress rates were 33.0% for depression and 19.2% for anxiety. Majority (97.1%) had good resilience characteristics. Significant variable associated with low mental distress and high resilience is belonging to age group 40 years and above. Also, resilience was moderately and significantly related to mental distress.Conclusion: Mental distress is relatively high among COVID-19 patients undergoing isolation-treatment. This rate is associated with age group of below 40 years and having low resilience characteristics. Efforts to boost resilience among COVID-19 might institute preventive measures against mental distress

Psychometric validity of the distress thermometer and problem check list in ART-na\uefve HIV infected patients in Northern Nigeria

Background: HIV diagnosis comes with a lot of worry and distress. Ability to objectively estimate this distress by non-psychiatrist will enhance early detection of psychological distress for intervention. Objectives: To investigate the validity of the Distress Thermometer (DT) and its problem checklist in achieving early detection of mental distress among ART-na\uefve HIV infected patient. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 ART-na\uefve HIV infected patients completed the DT and its problem check list, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), Oslo Social Support Scale and the 14-item Resilience Scale. Results: The DT was positively correlated with all the measures of distress and reversely correlated with all the positive wellness in this study. The correlations were only significant for the negative measures of psychological wellness. The internal consistency of the DT\u2019s problem list overall and sub-categories were within acceptable range (i.e. \u3b1 > 0.50). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and Area Under the Curves (AUC) analysis were significant and found the DT and Problem List to respectively differentiate between cases of distress, anxiety and depression. The DT\u2019s cut-off was >5.0 with AUC range (0.754 \u2013 0.709); sensitivity range (81.0% \u2013 70.4%); specificity range (68.3% \u2013 65.2%) for distress, anxiety and depression as determined by HADS. And the Problem List cut-off was >6.0 with AUC range (0.854 \u2013 0.821); sensitivity range (90.5% - 85.7%); specificity range (68.3% - 65.2%) for distress, anxiety and depression as measured by HADS. Conclusion: The DT and Problem List were found to be valid measures of distress in ART-na\uefve HIV infected patients