COVID-19 Pandemic-related Risk Factors of Depression: A 2-City Randomized Survey from Kazakhstan

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psycho-social, economic, and biological factors on depression trajectories are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the association of pandemic-related social and economic risk factors with depression. This baseline survey provides a foundation for the longitudinal panel study to assess the trajectory of psychopathologies and mental health resilience as the societal recovery from this pandemic occurs.

We telephonically surveyed 2000 randomly selected participants 18 years-and-older, stratified by 2 cosmopolitan cities in the high middle-income former-Soviet country of Kazakhstan. Survey-adjusted Poisson regression analyses produced probable depression (CESD-16) prevalence ratios (PRs) for COVID-19 death and disease, economic duress, and other socio-psychological factors.

Household suspected having-or-diagnosed with COVID-19 with prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.48 (95% CI 1.09-2.02; P = 0·013), friends/coworkers diagnosed with COVD-19 with PR = 1.43 (1.04-1.95; P = 0.026), lost employment PR = 1.80 (1.04-3.11; P = 0.037), and insufficient income for food PR = 1.54 (1.15-2.06; P = 0.004) were independently associated with depression. Having COVID-19 deaths among family/friends or acquaintances/coworkers were not associated with depression, but family stress had a dose-response association, with PR = 13.42 (7.11-25.32; P < 0.001) for very high stress.

The study findings can inform future effective interventions and policies for protecting population mental health during and after extended periods of the pandemics.