Examining the psychological and financial impact of travel restrictions on citizens and permanent residents stranded abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic: international cross-sectional study

  1. Pippa McDermid
  2. Adam Craig
  3. Meru Sheel
  4. Katrina Blazek
  5. Siobhan Talty
  6. Holly Seale

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the psychological and financial distress reported by citizens and permanent residents stranded abroad due to international travel restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

An international cross-sectional study.

Setting

A primary analysis of data collected between July and September 2021 through an online survey targeting individuals stranded abroad and unable to return to their country of residence due to international travel restrictions.

Respondents

A total of 1054 individuals aged 18–84 years.

Data analysis

Multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the relationship between higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress and participant variables.

Outcome measures

The survey answered questions regarding COVID-19 travel restriction-related impacts: personal stress, anxiety and depression (using the validated 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) tool), as well as impacts on housing and financial security and demographic data.

Results

A total of 75.4% of respondents reported wanting to return to the Oceania region (75.4%), with 45% stranded in Europe. 64.2% reported financial distress while stranded abroad. 64.4% (x̄=9.43, SD=5.81) reported moderate-to-extremely severe (based on the DASS-21 classification) levels of depression, 41.7% for anxiety (x̄=5.46, SD=4.74), and 58.1% for stress (x̄=10.64, SD=5.26). Multivariable analysis indicated that financial stress, an employment change, being <30 years, having a high perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 abroad and being stranded for >2 months were significantly related to scores of moderate-to-extremely severe depression, anxiety and stress.

Conclusion

The study is among the first to explore the psychological and financial distress-related impacts associated with being stranded abroad due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. It highlights a range of unintended consequences that arise from pandemic-related travel restrictions, identifies the health and social needs of a particularly vulnerable population, and provides clues as to the types of support that may be adopted to best support them.

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  1. Version published to 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059922
  2. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2021.12.08.21267218: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    EthicsIRB: Ethical approval for this study was granted by the UNSW Human Research Ethics Committee (#210418).
    Consent: All participants indicated their consent to participate.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    All data analyses were conducted using SPSS (25).
    SPSS
    suggested: (SPSS, RRID:SCR_002865)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  3. Version published to 10.1101/2021.12.08.21267218v1 on medRxiv