Published date:Mar 24 2025

Journal Title: Dubai Medical Journal

Issue title: Dubai Medical Journal (DMJ): Volume 8, Issue 1

Pages:23 - 41

DOI: 10.18502/dmj.v8i1.18309

Yousef M. AljawarnehHealth Sciences Department, Higher Colleges of Technology, Fujairah

Lubna M. Rajablrajab@hct.ac.aeHealth Sciences Department, Higher Colleges of Technology, Fujairah

Maha S. AlyileiliHealth Sciences Department, Higher Colleges of Technology, Fujairah

Roqayah S. AlkaabiHealth Sciences Department, Higher Colleges of Technology, Fujairah

Shaikha H. AlhootiHealth Sciences Department, Higher Colleges of Technology, Fujairah

Thekra A. AlnuaimiHealth Sciences Department, Higher Colleges of Technology, Fujairah

Hana Y. GhunaimGeneral Requirements Department, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi

Introduction: The pandemic crisis created a psychosocial and public health crisis that affected the lives of millions globally. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the stress burden during the pandemic crisis and positive coping among the general population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: This study employed a crosssectional design to examine the stress burden of the pandemic crisis and positive coping among the general population in the UAE. The study questionnaires were sent to potential participants as an online survey. A total of 465 UAE residents were enrolled between October and December 2021. The stress burden and positive coping were measured using the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 Pandemic Mental Health Questionnaire (CoPaQ).

Results: Regarding stress burdens related to the pandemic crisis, only 20.9% (n = 97) of the participants reported no stress burden, while most of the participants had mild to moderate stress burden (124 (26.7%) and 188 (40.4%), respectively). In contrast, 56 participants (12.0%) had severe stress burden related to the pandemic crisis. Positive coping with daytime structure was reported as 102 participants (21.9%) reported highly effective coping, 123 participants (26.5%) reported moderately effective coping, 137 participants (29.5%) reported slightly effective coping, and 103 participants (22.2%) reported ineffective coping. Positive coping with inner resources was reported where most of the participants reported either highly or moderately effective coping (110 (23.7%) and 155 (33.3%), respectively), while only 62 participants (13.3%) reported ineffective coping. Being symptomatic quarantined was significantly associated with positive coping categories of daytime structure but not inner resources, while being infected was significantly associated with both positive coping categories of daytime structure and inner resources. Stress burden was significantly associated with demographic variables (marital status, gender, and age) pandemic-specific variables (quarantined, infected, and symptomatic), and psychological variables (pre-existing conditions and undergoing psychotherapy).

Conclusion: The pandemic crisis has significantly affected the stress burden of the UAE population. The individual differences identified in this study underscore the importance of anticipating the impact of future crises and implementing personalized interventions that address the needs of vulnerable groups.

Keywords: crisis, pandemic, positive coping, stress burden, United Arab Emirates

[1] Saddik B, Hussein A, Albanna A, Elbarazi I, Al-Shujairi A, Temsah MH, et al. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults and children in the United Arab Emirates: A nationwide cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry. 2021 May;21(1):224.

[2] Health Organization: COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update, Edition 110, 21 September 2022.

[3] Vindegaard N, Benros ME. COVID-19 pandemic and mental health consequences: Systematic review of the current evidence. Brain Behav Immun. 2020 Oct;89(4):531–542.

[4] Salari N, Hosseinian-Far A, Jalali R, Vaisi-Raygani A, Rasoulpoor S, Mohammadi M, et al. Prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Global Health. 2020 Jul;16(1):57.

[5] Cénat JM, Blais-Rochette C, Kokou-Kpolou CK, Noorishad PG, Mukunzi JN, McIntee SE, et al. Prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and psychological distress among populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2021 Jan;295:113599.

[6] Wang C, Pan R, Wan X, Tan Y, Xu L, McIntyre RS, et al. A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Brain Behav Immun. 2020 Jul;87:40–48.

[7] Alkhamees AA, Alrashed SA, Alzunaydi AA, Almohimeed AS, Aljohani MS. The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the general population of Saudi Arabia. Compr Psychiatry. 2020 Oct;102(1):152192.

[8] Al Omari O, Al Sabei S, Al Rawajfah O, Abu Sharour L, Aljohani K, Alomari K, et al. Prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress among youth at the time of COVID-19: An online cross-sectional multicountry study. Depress Res Treat. 2020 Oct;2020:8887727.

[9] Rek SV, Bühner M, Reinhard MA, Freeman D, Keeser D, Adorjan K, et al. The COVID-19 pandemic mental health questionnaire (CoPaQ): Psychometric evaluation and compliance with countermeasures in psychiatric inpatients and non-clinical individuals. 2021 Apr 22 https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs- 403892/v1

[10] Abdelrahman R, Ismail ME. The psychological distress and COVID-19 pandemic during lockdown: A cross-sectional study from United Arab Emirates (UAE). Heliyon. 2022 May;8(5):e09422.

[11] Sharif Nia H, Akhlaghi E, Torkian S, Khosravi V, Etesami R, Froelicher ES, et al. Predictors of persistence of anxiety, hyperarousal stress, and resilience during the COVID-19 epidemic: A national study in Iran. Front Psychol. 2021 Sep;12:671124.

[12] Li LZ, Wang S. Prevalence and predictors of general psychiatric disorders and loneliness during COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. Psychiatry Res. 2020 Sep;291(3):113267.

[13] Solomou I, Constantinidou F. Prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and compliance with precautionary measures: Age and sex matter. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul;17(14):4924.

[14] Cheikh Ismail L, Mohamad MN, Bataineh MF, Ajab A, Al-Marzouqi AM, Jarrar AH, et al. Impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) lockdown on mental health and well-being in the United Arab Emirates. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Mar;12:633230.

[15] Olff M, Primasari I, Qing Y, Coimbra BM, Hovnanyan A, Grace E, et al.; GPS-CCC Consortium. Mental health responses to COVID-19 around the world. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021 Jun;12(1):1929754.

[16] Zhou Y, MacGeorge EL, Myrick JG. Mental health and its predictors during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic experience in the United States. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Aug;17(17):6315.

[17] Rajkumar RP. COVID-19 and mental health: A review of the existing literature. Asian J Psychiatr. 2020 Aug;52(102066):102066.

[18] Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, Woodland L, Wessely S, Greenberg N, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: Rapid review of the evidence. Lancet. 2020 Mar;395(10227):912– 920.

[19] Asmundson GJ, Paluszek MM, Landry CA, Rachor GS, McKay D, Taylor S. Do pre-existing anxietyrelated and mood disorders differentially impact COVID-19 stress responses and coping? J Anxiety Disord. 2020 Aug;74:102271.

[20] Bäuerle A, Steinbach J, Schweda A, Beckord J, Hetkamp M, Weismüller B, et al. Mental health burden of the COVID-19 outbreak in Germany: Predictors of mental health impairment. J Prim Care Community Health. 2020;11:2150132720953682.

[21] Bendau A, Kunas SL, Wyka S, Petzold MB, Plag J, Asselmann E, et al. Longitudinal changes of anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: The role of pre-existing anxiety, depressive, and other mental disorders. J Anxiety Disord. 2021 Apr;79:102377.

[22] Gulliver A, Banfield M, Batterham PJ, Calear AL, Farrer LM, Dawel A, et al. Effects of previous exposure to psychotherapeutic strategies on depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. BJPsych Open. 2021 Jan;7(1):e38.

[23] Saricali M, Satici SA, Satici B, Gocet-Tekin E, Griffiths MD. Fear of COVID-19, mindfulness, humor, and hopelessness: A multiple mediation analysis. Int J Ment Health Addict. 2020 Nov;: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00419-5

[24] Conversano C, Di Giuseppe M, Miccoli M, Ciacchini R, Gemignani A, Orrù G. Mindfulness, age and gender as protective factors against psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol. 2020 Sep;11:1900.

[25] Rettie H, Daniels J. Coping, and tolerance of uncertainty: Predictors and mediators of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Am Psychol. 2020;: https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000710.

[26] Manchia M, Gathier AW, Yapici-Eser H, Schmidt MV, de Quervain D, van Amelsvoort T, et al. The impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic on stress resilience and mental health: A critical review across waves. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2022 Feb;55(1):22–83.

[27] Wong MC, Huang J, Wang HH, Yuan J, Xu W, Zheng ZJ, et al.; Association of Pacific Rim Universities. Resilience level and its association with maladaptive coping behaviours in the COVID-19 pandemic: A global survey of the general populations. Global Health. 2023 Jan;19(1):1.

[28] Riehm KE, Brenneke SG, Adams LB, Gilan D, Lieb K, Kunzler AM, et al. Association between psychological resilience and changes in mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Affect Disord. 2021 Mar;282:381–385.

[29] Robles-Bello MA, Sánchez-Teruel D, Valencia Naranjo N. Variables protecting mental health in the Spanish population affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Curr Psychol. 2020;(Oct):225640–225651.