Self-perception of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated sociodemographic-contextual factors in Latin American countries

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of alterations in the self-perception of mental health (SpMH) during the COVID-19 pandemic in four Latin American countries and the associated factors. Method: Data from adults were collected in a cross-sectional study utilizing Netquest's COVID-19 Response Survey between September 2020 and March 2021. The sample size was 8 125 people from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile. The generalized linear model (GLM) logistic and the fixed-effects model were used. Results: There were 2 336 (28.75%) people who considered having alterations in SpMH. Unemployed people [OR: 1.40 (95% CI: 1.24-1.58)], those with bad/regular quality of life [OR: 5.03 (95% CI: 4.01-6.31)], and those with high socioeconomic status [OR: 1.66 (95% CI: 1.41-1.96)] had a higher risk of SpMH alterations, compared to people with full-time employment, excellent quality and low status. According to the fixed-effects model, people who lived in Brazil during the pandemic had disagreements with their government's decisions [OR: 2.05 (95%CI: 1.74-2.42)] and did not trust their government [OR: 2.10 (95%CI: 1.74-2.42)] had a higher risk of having SpMH alterations. Conclusion: Nearly 30.0% of respondents stated that the COVID-19 pandemic altered their mental health self-perception. Political, sociodemographic, and health risk factors promoted this outcome. These findings should help policymakers design post-pandemic community interventions.