Mental health of the adult population in the post-pandemic period, Paraguay, year 2023

Abstract

Mental health is a state of well-being that allows individuals to face problems and be productive. It can be negatively affected by symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, this situation being more evident in the pandemic. This work focused on determining mental health in a sample of adults in the post-pandemic, in Paraguay in the year 2023. The design was quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional, in 150 Paraguayan adults. A questionnaire of sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables was used as an instrument, followed by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - Dass-21, which were digitized and socialized through messaging applications and social networks, with free participation and voluntary. The results showed high levels of these variables: 80% for some form of depression, 78.7% anxiety and 70.7% stress, which is related to the current trend of elevation of these conditions in the post-pandemic. It is concluded that these mental health conditions are highly frequent in the study population, demonstrating an important impact on this human dimension and the need to address it from the institutions responsible for health care, through plans and programs aimed at mitigating emotional damage.