Assessing the psychological impact of COVID-19 outbreak and its related factors on Lebanese individuals with physical disabilities.
Marwa Summaka, Hiba Zein, Ibrahim Naim and 1 others
PMID 33653673WHAT IT FOUND
Self-reported fear of COVID-19 was mild among Lebanese adults with physical disabilities.
Anxiety and depression were more frequent in unemployed participants, and depression was also linked to no college education and being married.
Key findings
01The group reported mild fear of COVID-19, with a mean score of 15.77 on a scale from 7 to 35.
02Anxiety was present in 22.9% and depression in 31.4% of participants.
03Unemployment was associated with higher fear, anxiety, and depression.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was convenient and not random, so it may not represent all Lebanese individuals with physical disabilities. Participants came only from rehabilitation centers and therapeutic programs, so people not enrolled there were not included. The study used self-reported fear, anxiety, and depression, which can be influenced by personal or social factors. Baseline mental health before the pandemic was not available, so other causes of distress could not be controlled. Males constituted 88.1% of the sample, so findings may not apply equally to women. The fear scale had no cutoff, so fear was analyzed as a continuous score rather than classified.
Declared interests
The authors report no financial support and no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that unemployment, being married, or no college education caused fear, anxiety, or depression. The study was a cross-sectional convenience survey without baseline mental health data, so it cannot show cause.