https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0058-2632
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ABSTRACT
The objective of this paper was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Poles and the availability of psychiatric and psychological support during the pandemic. A prospective, cross-sectional web-based survey design was adopted. It was carried out on a sample of 1080 Polish citizens above 18 years old. The majority of Poles (70%) experienced symptoms of mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep disturbance (63.79%), anxiety (48.79%), low mood for most of the day (44.63%), sadness, tearfulness (41.29%), and concentration disorders (35.93%) were the mental disorder symptoms reported most often by the survey subjects. To reduce the potential acute and long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, decision-makers of the Polish health system should implement stepped multilevel and multi-target psychological support services.
Consent to participate
On-line consent was obtained from the participants. Participants were allowed to terminate the survey at any time they desired. The survey was anonymous and confidentiality was assured.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Ethics approval
The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Poznan University of Medical Sciences.
Availability of data and material
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Authors’ contributions
Conceived and designed research: AP, EN and JM. Performed study: JM, HF, JT, AS, KW, KN and AG. Analyzed data: MM, AP and EN. Interpreted results of study: AP, EN, WB, MM and SSM. Drafted manuscript: AP, EN, SSM and WB. All authors edited and revised the manuscript and approved the final version.