P.660 The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in a community-based population in Portugal: a case-control observational study

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis, affecting several nations, including Portugal Such widespread outbreaks are associated with a significant mental health impact Isolation, uncertainty, and fear of contagion are some of the factors responsible for this outcome Aim: To survey the general public to better understand the level of psychological impact during the initial stage of COVID-19 outbreak Methods: From 11th March to 11th May 2020 we conducted a telephonic survey on patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (n= 120) and compared them with a contemporaneous control group (n=120) not diagnosed with COVID-19 These data were collected from a community-based population in the centre region of Portugal, using convenience sampling techniques Using a structured interview, we collected quantitative and qualitative information on demographic data, symptoms, psychological and social impact Psychological impact was also assessed using Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Quality of life scale (QOLS) Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 26 0 Software Descriptive statistics and the appropriate parametric and non-parametric methods were used Summary: More than a half of the patients surveyed were in the age group between 31 and 50 years, with 79% being of female gender None of the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 needed treatment in hospital facilities and all of them spent 20-24h at home during the period surveyed The COVID-19 group showed a significant increase in the levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms when compared with the control group Most of the patients in the COVID-19 group reported feeling emotionally and physically exhausted (71%), fear of being infected (44,9%) and of infecting their family members (68,5%) during the period surveyed The impact of the quarantine, routine modification, social isolation and the stigma surrounding the COVID-19 infection were reported as contributing factors to this psychological impact More than a half of patients in the COVID-19 group showed high levels of “moderate to severe depression” in the BDI-II, with significant differences regarding the control group The BSI evidenced a higher level of symptoms reported when compared with the control group, namely anxiety, irritability, insomnia and tiredness An overall reduction in the quality of life was perceived in the COVID-19 group Conclusions: During the initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, more than a half of the responders in the COVID-19 group reported high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms The emotional impact is associated with factors such as social isolation, uncertainty, lack of information, fear of infecting relatives and stigma These data reveal a major mental health impact during the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak All the patients surveyed will be evaluated in a posterior follow-up We're hopeful that these data can promote a shift to a greater concern with mental health in the future No conflict of interest