Impact of COVID-19 on mental health of ambiverts and extroverts

Abstract

COVID-19 has led to people globally being quarantined in their houses either alone, with friends or family. Such a situation and phenomenon can have adverse effects on a person’s mental health. This study was conducted in May 2020 and the data is according to the statistics at that time. This study was done to see if such a situation elicits depressive and anxiety symptoms in the general population. The study further aimed to see whether these symptoms changed with the living situation of the people (alone, with friends, with nuclear family and with joint family); whether the symptoms were influenced by two personality types which are introversion and extraversion; and whether age (16-30 and 31-65) had any effect on the depression and anxiety scores. The scales used were Ryff’s PHQ-9 Depression scale to measure depressive symptoms and the GAD-7 scale to measure anxiety symptoms. Introversion Scale developed by McCroskey was used to study the extraversion and ambiversion personalities of the participants. An online survey was used to collect responses from participants. Convenience sampling was used and data was gathered from 203 participants. Descriptive statistics were used like graphs, tables, t-test and ANOVA to calculate the results and interpret them. The results indicated that a higher percentage of the general population had depression and anxiety symptoms. It was also found that there was a significant difference between the depression and anxiety scores of people below the age of 30 years and people above the age of 30 years. Living situation and personality factors however, did not show any significant differences in the anxiety and depression scores.