[Psychological effects during the COVID-19 outbreak in Argentina]

After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak, global measures were implemented with the aim of containing its progression. On March 20, 2020, the mandatory preventive quarantine began in Argentina. As a result of these events, previous studies conducted in the framework of this pandemic in China, have shown psychological consequences.

The aim of this study is to explore, through a self-administered electronic survey, attitudes and fears regarding COVID-19, the development of depressive symptoms and the pattern of alcohol consumption among the argentinian population during quarantine (n = 759).

As a result, we observed that fear of COVID-19 was greater in 55 to 59 years old people, with an abrupt drop above 70; that depressed mood and the increased of alcohol consumption were more frequent in youngest subjects, and that depressed mood was also frequent among subjects who lost their jobs during quarantine. Finally, we observed an elevated degree of agreement with the quarantine measure, even in some people who suffered a decrease in their income greater than 80% during quarantine. These results are useful for obtaining information about risk groups, enabling specific preventive and therapeutic strategies could be designed.