Determinants of Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Egypt: A GSEM Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors and Income Changes Mediation
Mariam Nasser Abd El-Azim
Department of Quantitative Methods, Faculty of Commerce, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
Mohamed R. Abonazel *
Department of Applied Statistics and Econometrics, Faculty of Graduate Studies for Statistical Research, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
El-Sayed Mohamed Khater
Department of Biostatistics and Demography, Faculty of Graduate Studies for Statistical Research, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Mohammed Atta
Department of Quantitative Methods, Faculty of Commerce, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in late 2019, deeply impacted societies worldwide. Beyond its direct health outcomes, the pandemic brought about significant economic disruptions and triggered mental health challenges for many individuals. One area of consideration is the effect of income changes on mental health status. The Generalized Structural Equation Modeling (GSEM) model will identify the mediating impact of economic changes between the sociodemographic variables on mental health status in Egypt. The study indicated that changing income levels among the participants had a notable mediating impact on their mental health status during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, factors such as total monthly income, employment status, primary occupation, concerns regarding the economic climate, educational attainment, household size, social support, and coping mechanisms significantly influenced changes in economic levels. Furthermore, aspects like the consequences of social distancing, place of residence, and fears of contracting the virus significantly impacted the mental health status of the population. Labor market variables were found to have a shared influence on both economic circumstances and mental health status. The GSEM model with the ordinal logistic regression equation was investigated to determine the direct effects of the independent variables on the economic status and the indirect effects of them on the mental health status in Egypt, according to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19, mental health, GSEM models, mediating effect, economic situation in Egypt