Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified pre-existing mental health issues in Bangladesh, yet no study has specifically examined how factors related to COVID-19 vaccination influence mental health within this context. This study aimed to examine the relationship between mental health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and stress, and COVID-19 vaccination status and related factors among the adult Bangladeshi population.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with a convenience sampling technique was employed to gather the data. The sample size and response rate were 1085 and 93.68%. The mean age of the participants was 34.30 (SD: 12.79), and 55.3% were female. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out.

RESULTS

The reliability of the instruments, measured by Cronbach's alpha, was: depression (0.78), anxiety (0.82), stress (0.83), and overall DASS (0.92). The average number of COVID-19 vaccine doses taken was 2.33. Each additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine significantly reduces stress scores by 0.61. Additionally, pre-vaccination concerns about side effects significantly increase anxiety scores by 0.63. Furthermore, experiencing pressure to get vaccinated is associated with a significant increase in depression scores by 0.78. Moreover, experiencing negative outcomes from the vaccine significantly decreases scores across all three mental health metrics: depression by -0.91, anxiety by -0.87, and stress by -1.35.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals the broad psychological consequences of COVID-19 vaccination in Bangladesh, which underscore the importance of effective communication and supportive strategies, alongside targeted psychological interventions at vaccination sites.