DEPRESSIVE EFFECT OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

The emergence of COVID-19 in December 2019 has not only affected economic activities but also the psychological and mental makeup of individuals. Hence, this study investigates the depressive effect of COVID-19 lockdown on the people in the South-West of Nigeria. The study employed cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire to collect data from 900 respondents across the South-West of Nigeria comprising six states (Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo) during the COVID- 19 lockdown. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the respondents from social media platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram). The reliability test of the instruments used yielded (Cronbach α: 0.82). Simple statistics and chi-square were used to analyze the data collected. Findings show that there is no significant relationship between level of knowledge, level of appetite, insomnia, and interest in work. It is therefore concluded that there is no causal relationship between the level of knowledge a person has of COVID-19 and depressive status of people in the SouthWestern of Nigeria during the lockdown period. However, social workers are exhorted to provide supportive intervention when the needs arise