Voices on the Edge: Mental Health Status of Unemployed Adults of Working Age during the COVID-19 epidemic- A Retrospective Study Based on Data from the Psychological Assistance Hotline in HCM City

Abstract

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate the utilization of psychological hotlines by the unemployed labor force during the COVID-19 epidemic and to explore their mental health status. METHODS: General demographic data, types of caller problems and other information of unemployed adult labor force callers to the HCM City assistance hotline were collected from 2019 to 2022, and group comparisons were made according to different genders, different age groups, and caller times to understand the mental health status of this group by assessing depressive mood and suicide risk.Taking high-risk calls as outcome variables, multivariate Logistic regression was carried out to explore the related factors affecting the mental health status of this group. RESULTS: A study of 6,297 cases found that males exhibited higher rates of major depression, suicidal ideation, planning, and behavior compared to females (P < 0.001). The youth group had significantly higher proportions of major depression and suicide risk compared to middle-aged and older individuals (P < 0.001). Calls in the second half of the night were associated with a higher proportion of callers reporting suicidal plans and preparations(P < 0.001). Young callers had an 11.04 times(OR=12.04,95%CI 3.523-41.148,P＜0.001)and senior callers had an 4.039 times (OR=5.039 95%CI 1.476-17.201,P=0.01) higher risk of suicidal behavior compared to middle-aged callers, and men were 1.211 times (OR=2.211 95%CI 1.423-3.435,P < 0.001)more likely to have high-risk calls than women. Gender and age were identified as influential factors for high-risk situations. CONCLUSION: Unemployed callers who were male, in the youth group, and who called in the second half of the night had relatively poorer mental health and were at higher risk for suicide.