Mental wellbeing during the time of COVID-19 pandemic: A national pilot survey in Ethiopia.

Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic substantially disrupts population health and wellbeing globally, while little is known about the effect on mental wellbeing in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on mental wellbeing of individuals and households in Ethiopia.

Methods: A cross-sectional, national pilot survey was conducted through phone interviews from September to November 2021. Mental wellbeing and disability were assessed using a questionnaire adapted from the 5-item World Health Organization Wellbeing Index (WHO-5), the Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3), and the WHO Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS 2.0).

Results: A total of 614 adults completed the pilot survey. The mean age was 36 years (standard deviation 11) and 71.7% were male. Mental wellbeing was poor in 218 (35.5%) participants. The most important predictors for poor mental wellbeing were rural residence (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 1.89; 95% CI 1.14, 3.14; p=0.012), perceived COVID-19 risk (AOR 1.75; 95% CI 1.18, 2.60; p=0.005), household stress (AOR 2.09; 95% CI 1.31, 3.34; p=0.002), experience of symptom of COVID-19 in the household (AOR 2.14; 95% CI 1.13, 4.04; p=0.019), and poor social support (AOR 2.43; 95% CI 1.51, 3.91; p<0.001).

Conclusion: The study provides evidence that COVID-19 had a significant adverse impact on the mental wellbeing of individuals and households in Ethiopia. Further studies are needed to understand in detail the implications of the pandemic and interventions needed to keep mental wellbing of citizens.