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

Abstract 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.