Toward understanding the mental health of nigerian residents during lockdown: the influence of age and vulnerability to COVID-19

Abstract

Background

COVID-19 remains a global threat with huge implications on people’s mental health, especially during the period of lockdown. However, little is known about this in the working-age population in Nigeria.

Aims

To examine differences in mental health indicators (successful coping, stress and lowered self-esteem) among individuals within the working age of 18–65 years in Nigeria based on their age and self-perceived vulnerability to COVID-19.

Methods

In a snowball sampling method, 345 participants (219 males and 126 females) of age between 18 to 65 years (mean age = 34.79, SD = 11.18) were recruited from 16 April through 1 May 2020, via online survey containing demographics and studied variables.

Results

Age and self-perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 have significant separate influence on coping, stress and self-esteem. Younger individuals scored lower in coping and self-esteem; and higher in stress. However, individuals who scored low in self-perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 were higher in coping and self-esteem; and lower in stress.

Conclusions

Age and self-perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 are vital in determining levels of coping, stress and self-esteem among working-age population in Nigeria during COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological interventions are suggested to improve emotional and behavioural adjustments; and personal value during the pandemic.

Keywords:

• Age
• self-perceived vulnerability to COVID-19
• mental health
• Nigeria

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee (i.e. Ethics and Research Committee, Department of Psychology, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria) and informed consent was further sought from the respective respondents.

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to all the participants for completing the online survey.

Author contribution

The author designed the study, collected the data and wrote the entire article for publication.

Disclosure statement

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.