ArticlePLOS mental health2025
Psychological distress and coping mechanisms due to the COVID-19 pandemic among the adult population in Bo Sierra Leone. A cross-sectional study.
Article in PLOS mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Psychological distress is widely recognized as a significant health concern that poses a potential risk to the overall mental wellbeing of individuals. This study investigated the psychological distress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the coping methods employed by adults in Bo district, Sierra Leone. This research used a snapshot approach (cross-sectional design) to describe the prevalence of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic among 502 adults residing in Bo district, Sierra Leone. We collected study data using a structured questionnaire that comprised of participant's demographics, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Fear of COVID-19Scale (FCV-19S), Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), and Duke-UNC Functional Social Support instrument. We used backward stepwise binary logistic regression to identify the key factors linked to psychological distress. The average psychological stress score was 22.96±11.35, with approximately one-third of participants (n = 160, 31.9%) exhibiting very high levels of psychological distress. The mean score for fear of COVID-19 was 29.71±6.84, with the majority (n = 420,83.7%) being fearful of COVID-19. The mean score for the Brief Resilient Coping Mechanism was 12.49±4.51, with half of the participants considered low resilient copers (n = 257,51.2%). The mean score for functional social support was 25.35±8.85, with (n = 240, 47.8%) having increased social support. Individuals with a known health condition [aOR = 4.415, 95% CI = 1.859-10.484], who provided care to a family member/patient with known/suspected COVID-19 [aOR = 4.485, 95% CI = 1.575-12.775], who knew someone who died from COVID-19 [aOR = 3.117, 95% CI = 1.579-6.154], with an increased fear of COVID-19 [aOR = 4.344, 95% CI = 2.199-8.580] had higher odds of moderate to severe psychological distress. Moderate resilient copers [aOR = 0.523, 95% CI = 0.296-0.925] had lower odds of psychological distress compared to the low resilient copers. Participants with increased social support had lower odds of psychological distress than those with low support [aOR = 0.253, 95% CI = 0.147-0.434]. A significant proportion of the study cohort residing in Bo, Sierra Leone, experienced high levels of mental stress because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study shows the importance of designing and implementing programs that minimize COVID-19 stressors and enhance the coping skills and social support network.
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