Psychological Distress and Coping Strategies Among South Africans During COVID-19 Lockdowns: Findings from an Online Survey

Abstract This study explores psychological distress and coping strategies among South African adults (median age of 38; IQR = 28–50) during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown regulations through a rapid online survey ( N = 851). More than half (55.23%) of the participants reported psychological distress, namely high levels of anxiety and depression, with almost half of this group (47.02%) at risk of severe psychological disorder. Binary logistic regression indicated that participants who were younger, self-identified as female, self-reported recent cold/flu symptoms, current tobacco use, and past-year drug use were significantly more likely to report psychological distress. Conversely, well-being, resilience, and healthy coping were associated with no psychological distress. Multivariate analysis revealed that participants’ well-being was a strong predictor of whether they experienced distress (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.01–0.21). These findings underscore the importance of promoting mental well-being and resilience in countries with an existing mental health service gap to mitigate the psychological impact of public health crises. Developing proactive mental health strategies and planning for emergency response planning can assist in supporting populations during future pandemics or similar disruptions.