The psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the Levant: a cross-sectional study
The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound psychological and behavioral effects on populations worldwide. The Levant Countries have faced unique challenges that have exacerbated the mental health burden on individuals. Limited research specifically addressed the psychological and behavioral impact on pe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Critical Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09581596.2025.2513643 |
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| author | Husam Abazid Abdalwhab Zwiri Osama R. Atoom Esraa Ebraheem Al Jomaa Razan I. Nassar Dina Alkaddah Wardeh Mahmoud Abu Kluob |
| author_facet | Husam Abazid Abdalwhab Zwiri Osama R. Atoom Esraa Ebraheem Al Jomaa Razan I. Nassar Dina Alkaddah Wardeh Mahmoud Abu Kluob |
| author_sort | Husam Abazid |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound psychological and behavioral effects on populations worldwide. The Levant Countries have faced unique challenges that have exacerbated the mental health burden on individuals. Limited research specifically addressed the psychological and behavioral impact on people living in the Levant. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the cross-sectional data on mental health outcomes and behavioral changes in this region. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 1 November and 20 December 2022, targeting individuals from Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon. The questionnaire, validated by experts, covered demographic information, mental health status, and behavioral changes. Data was analyzed using SPSS, employing descriptive statistics and logistic regression to identify factors associated with anxiety and depression. A total of 610 individuals participated in the study, with about two-thirds female. Of the participants (n = 610), 37.7% reported anxiety, and 34.0% reported depression post-pandemic. Interestingly, the results highlighted an increase in anxiety and depression during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Females were significantly more likely to suffer from both anxiety and depression (p < 0.001). Moreover, behavioral changes included increased social media use (90%) and improvements in personal hygiene (45.1%). Our study concluded that The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant mental health challenges and behavioral changes among individuals in the Levant. This study suggests implementing a reliable crisis management strategy by governments that outlines recovery measures to help people navigate through this period with minimal impact on the quality of their lives. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-791c8a5b6c0b4d7d9821910d3a8490d9 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0958-1596 1469-3682 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Critical Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-791c8a5b6c0b4d7d9821910d3a8490d92025-08-20T03:21:06ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCritical Public Health0958-15961469-36822025-12-0135110.1080/09581596.2025.2513643The psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the Levant: a cross-sectional studyHusam Abazid0Abdalwhab Zwiri1Osama R. Atoom2Esraa Ebraheem Al Jomaa3Razan I. Nassar4Dina Alkaddah5Wardeh Mahmoud Abu Kluob6Department of Oral Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Applied Science Private University, Amman, JordanDepartment of Oral Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Applied Science Private University, Amman, JordanPreventive Medicine and Public Health Department, Royal Medical Services, Amman, JordanHealth Science Institution, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Medical and Pharmaceutical Science, Mersin University, Mersin, TürkiyeDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Applied Science Private University, Amman, JordanLife Pulse for Research and Development, Amman, JordanDean of Faculty of Humanities at Midocean University, Moroni, ComorosThe COVID-19 pandemic has had profound psychological and behavioral effects on populations worldwide. The Levant Countries have faced unique challenges that have exacerbated the mental health burden on individuals. Limited research specifically addressed the psychological and behavioral impact on people living in the Levant. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the cross-sectional data on mental health outcomes and behavioral changes in this region. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 1 November and 20 December 2022, targeting individuals from Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon. The questionnaire, validated by experts, covered demographic information, mental health status, and behavioral changes. Data was analyzed using SPSS, employing descriptive statistics and logistic regression to identify factors associated with anxiety and depression. A total of 610 individuals participated in the study, with about two-thirds female. Of the participants (n = 610), 37.7% reported anxiety, and 34.0% reported depression post-pandemic. Interestingly, the results highlighted an increase in anxiety and depression during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Females were significantly more likely to suffer from both anxiety and depression (p < 0.001). Moreover, behavioral changes included increased social media use (90%) and improvements in personal hygiene (45.1%). Our study concluded that The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant mental health challenges and behavioral changes among individuals in the Levant. This study suggests implementing a reliable crisis management strategy by governments that outlines recovery measures to help people navigate through this period with minimal impact on the quality of their lives.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09581596.2025.2513643COVID-19 pandemicmental healthanxietydepressionbehavioral changesLevant region |
| spellingShingle | Husam Abazid Abdalwhab Zwiri Osama R. Atoom Esraa Ebraheem Al Jomaa Razan I. Nassar Dina Alkaddah Wardeh Mahmoud Abu Kluob The psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the Levant: a cross-sectional study Critical Public Health COVID-19 pandemic mental health anxiety depression behavioral changes Levant region |
| title | The psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the Levant: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | The psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the Levant: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | The psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the Levant: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the Levant: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | The psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the Levant: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | psychological and behavioral impact of coronavirus outbreak on people living in the countries of the levant a cross sectional study |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic mental health anxiety depression behavioral changes Levant region |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09581596.2025.2513643 |
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