Do home quarantine individuals suffer from claustrophobia and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic?

Abstract

The COVID19 pandemic has put people under severe psychological pressure, especially in a country like India that is one of the most populated countries in the world. The objective of the present study is to investigate the association and possible impact of certain factors (gender, age, living status, working status, and location) with claustrophobia and anxiety disorders on home quarantine individuals. A self-reported data was gathered from 684 individuals between the age group of 18 − 60 years of which 63.2% were males and 36.8 % were females. The statistical tools used in the study were correlation, regression, and mediation analysis. The results showed that women and the elderly were more anxious and showed symptoms of claustrophobia. Without exception, mediation analysis showed that gender, location, and age have a direct significant effect on claustrophobia and an indirect effect on anxiety through claustrophobia. The main findings emphasize the adverse psychological effects of claustrophobia and anxiety during the quarantine period and provide crucial information for home quarantine individuals and medical practitioners.

Keywords

• - COVID-19
• Quarantine
• Agoraphobia
• Claustrophobia
• Anxiety
• Gender