Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey: Relationship to Protective Behaviors and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Approaches

Abstract

Context Today, almost all countries have implemented programs to fight COVID-19, which has spread rapidly to every location around the world. In addition, the negative effects of COVID-19 on psychological health have also captured attention. Objective The study aimed to determine the anxiety levels of individuals who used primary healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze the relationship of anxiety levels to participants' demographic characteristics, protective behaviors, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches. Design The research team conducted a cross-sectional and correlational survey. Setting This study took place in the Family Health Center in a province in western Turkey. Participants Participants were 483 individuals who visited a Family Health Center in a province in western Turkey between October 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021, for reasons such as health services and vaccinations and who hadn't had a COVID-19 infection before visiting the center. Outcome Measures The study research team collected data using an individual identification form that addressed participants' sociodemographic characteristics and their personal data about COVID-19 infections, protective behaviors, and CAM approaches during the pandemic. Participants also completed the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS). Results Of the 12.2% of participants who had high-level anxiety, females had 2.4 times that of males and individuals with chronic diseases had a 2.3 times higher level of anxiety than people who didn't. Being female and having a chronic disease were significantly associated with COVID-19 anxiety (P <.05). Conclusions Because the pandemic likely will continue in upcoming days, healthcare practitioners should develop protective and supportive psychosocial services for individuals facing COVID-19, providing them with information about evidence-based methods.