AIMS: The United Nations warned of COVID-19-related mental health crisis; however, it is unknown whether there is an increase in the prevalence of mental disorders as existing studies lack a reliable baseline analysis or they did not use a diagnostic measure. We aimed to analyse trends in the prevalence of mental disorders prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We analysed data from repeated cross-sectional surveys on a representative sample of non-institutionalised Czech adults (18+ years) from both November 2017 (n = 3306; 54% females) and May 2020 (n = 3021; 52% females). We used Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) as the main screening instrument. We calculated descriptive statistics and compared the prevalence of current mood and anxiety disorders, suicide risk and alcohol-related disorders at baseline and right after the first peak of COVID-19 when related lockdown was still in place in CZ. In addition, using logistic regression, we assessed the association between COVID-19-related worries and the presence of mental disorders. RESULTS: The prevalence of those experiencing symptoms of at least one current mental disorder rose from a baseline of 20.02 (95% CI = 18.64; 21.39) in 2017 to 29.63 (95% CI = 27.9; 31.37) in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of both major depressive disorder (3.96, 95% CI = 3.28; 4.62 v. 11.77, 95% CI = 10.56; 12.99); and suicide risk (3.88, 95% CI = 3.21; 4.52 v. 11.88, 95% CI = 10.64; 13.07) tripled and current anxiety disorders almost doubled (7.79, 95% CI = 6.87; 8.7 v. 12.84, 95% CI = 11.6; 14.05). The prevalence of alcohol use disorders in 2020 was approximately the same as in 2017 (10.84, 95% CI = 9.78; 11.89 v. 9.88, 95% CI = 8.74; 10.98); however, there was a significant increase in weekly binge drinking behaviours (4.07% v. 6.39%). Strong worries about both, health or economic consequences of COVID-19, were associated with an increased odds of having a mental disorder (1.63, 95% CI = 1.4; 1.89 and 1.42, 95% CI = 1.23; 1.63 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence matching concerns that COVID-19-related mental health problems pose a major threat to populations, particularly considering the barriers in service provision posed during lockdown. This finding emphasises an urgent need to scale up mental health promotion and prevention globally.

• Klíčová slova
• Anxiety, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, depression, mental disorders, prevalence, suicide risk,
• MeSH
• Betacoronavirus MeSH
• COVID-19 MeSH
• depresivní porucha unipolární epidemiologie   etiologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• duševní poruchy epidemiologie   etiologie   MeSH
• duševní zdraví statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• koronavirové infekce epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• poruchy nálady epidemiologie   etiologie   MeSH
• poruchy způsobené alkoholem epidemiologie   etiologie   MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• psychiatrické posuzovací škály MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• sebevražda statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• úzkostné poruchy epidemiologie   etiologie   MeSH
• virová pneumonie epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of current mental disorders in the Czech population, and to identify associated disability. METHODS: We conducted a representative cross-sectional household survey of the Czech adult, community-dwelling population. We used the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.), WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0, and Self-Identification as Mentally Ill (SELFI) scale alongside sociodemographic and other covariates. We reached 75% response rate. Descriptive statistics of the sample were assessed and median (M) disability levels with interquartile range (IQR) according diagnosis were calculated on a scale ranging from 12 to 50. Linear regression models were used to identify factors associated with disability. RESULTS: In our sample of 3 306 participants, 21.9% experienced a mental disorder in 2017. Prevalence rates for mood, anxiety, alcohol use, non-alcohol substance use, and psychotic disorders corresponded to 5.5%, 7.3%, 10.8%, 2.9%, and 1.5% respectively. Alcohol dependence was identified in 6.6%, and major depression in 4.0% of the sample. Disability in the general population was significantly lower (M = 12; IQR = 12, 17) than in those with mood (M = 20; IQR = 14; 29), anxiety (M = 18; IQR = 13; 26), alcohol use (M = 14; IQR = 12; 18), non-alcohol substance use (M = 15; IQR = 12; 19), or psychotic disorders (M = 22; IQR = 16.4; 29.4). CONCLUSIONS: People with mental disorders have considerably elevated disability in comparison to mentally healthy participants. The prevalence of mental disorders in the Czech Republic is mostly in line with European prevalence rates but it is lower for anxiety disorders and two times higher for alcohol use disorders.

• Klíčová slova
• Central and Eastern Europe, Disability, Epidemiology, Mental disorders,
• MeSH
• alkoholismus * diagnóza   epidemiologie   MeSH
• demografie MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• duševní poruchy * klasifikace   diagnóza   epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• duševní zdraví statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• posuzování pracovní neschopnosti MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• psychiatrické posuzovací škály MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory MeSH
• srovnání kultur MeSH
• úzkost * diagnóza   epidemiologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Evropa epidemiologie   MeSH