The Association between Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and Insomnia Symptoms with Marital Intimacy during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia
COVID-19, Sexual Health, Indonesia
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused mild to severe mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, trauma and sleep disorders. It also affects the psychosexual health. Sexual health is an important facet of life that needs attention to maintain a good quality of life. However, not many studies have examined the correlation between these dyads, specifically intimacy between married couples and the psychological problems occuring during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to determine which mental health problems (symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and insomnia) were the most predictors of marital intimacy during the pandemic in Indonesia. In an online survey method, from the results of 930 married respondents, intimacy was found to have a negative correlation with anxiety symptoms (rs = - 0.28, p < 0.001), depression symptoms (rs = - 0.35, p < 0.001), trauma symptoms (rs = - 0.37, p < 0.001) and insomnia symptoms (rs = - 0.32, p < 0.001). Depression is found to be the most predictive factor among all mental health problems to intimacy. This relationship was associated with several factors, including decreased partner’s libido, erectile function, ineffective communication, separation, fatigue, emotional dysregulation and loneliness. A program to mitigate these problems should be planned for primary and governmental healthcare levels.
Keywords :
COVID-19; intimacy; mental health,
Abstrak
Pandemik COVID-19 telah menyebabkan masalah kesihatan mental dari ringan sehingga yang teruk, termasuklah kebimbangan, kemurungan, trauma dan gangguan tidur. Ia juga menjejaskan kesihatan psikoseksual. Kesihatan seksual adalah aspek penting dalam kehidupan yang memerlukan perhatian untuk mengekalkan kualiti hidup yang baik. Walau bagaimanapun, tidak banyak kajian telah mengkaji korelasi antara keintiman antara pasangan suami isteri dan masalah psikologi yang berlaku semasa pandemik COVID-19. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan masalah kesihatan mental (gejala kebimbangan, kemurungan, trauma dan insomnia) yang merupakan ramalan utama keintiman perkahwinan semasa pandemik di Indonesia. Dalam kaedah tinjauan dalam talian, daripada 930 responden berkahwin, didapati keintiman mempunyai korelasi negatif dengan gejala kebimbangan (rs = - 0.28, p<0.001), gejala kemurungan (rs = - 0.35, p<0.001), gejala trauma (rs = - 0.37, p<0.001) dan gejala insomnia (rs = - 0.32, p<0.001). Kemurungan didapati sebagai faktor ramalan yang paling utama di antara semua masalah kesihatan mental terhadap keintiman. Hubungan ini dikaitkan dengan beberapa faktor, termasuk penurunan libido pasangan, fungsi ereksi, komunikasi yang tidak berkesan, perpisahan, keletihan, disregulasi emosi dan kesunyian. Satu program untuk mengurangkan masalah ini perlu dirancang dalam peringkat penjagaan kesihatan primer dan kerajaan.
Kata Kunci :
COVID-19; keintiman; kesihatan mental,
Correspondance Address
Hatta Sidi. Dean's Office, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603-90567552 / +6016-3112070 Email: hattasidi@hotmail.com