Depression among Nigerians during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a cross-sectional web-based study

Introduction: Despite the vulnerability of the general population to mental health problems during a pandemic, several studies have focused on the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the mental well-being of other populations such as healthcare workers and the elderly. Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence of depression amongst the general population in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic and its correlation with socio-demographic data. Material and methods: A total of 1651 people within the age range of 18 years and above participated in this cross-sectional survey, and participants were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. An anonymous online questionnaire was used to collect the data on socio-demographics and the prevalence and pattern of depression among the participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: More than 85% of the respondents showed patterns of depression ranging from minimal (35.8%) to severe (2.1%) symptoms. Respondents who were 18-27 years had the highest prevalence of depressive disorders (11.4%) amongst the respondents. Logistic regression analysis revealed the significant statistical difference in the prevalence of depressive symptoms amongst gender (OR = 0.60, 95% CI, 0.42-0.86) and the time spent on social media as participants who spent fewer hours (OR = 0.32; < 1 hour) were less likely to experience depressive symptoms than those who spent more (OR = 0.61; 4-6 hours). Conclusions: Findings revealed a high prevalence of symptoms of depressive disorder amongst the general population. Therefore, there is a need to pay adequate attention to the mental health of the general population by providing psychological supports specific to target populations.