The immediate psychological response of the general population in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 may differentially exacerbate anxiety and stress in people subjected to the real or perceived threat of the virus.

Method: An online cross-sectional survey was carried out to assess the general population's psychological response during the initial state of the outbreak in Saudi Arabia. The study used brief screening tools PHQ-4 for anxiety-depression symptoms and IES-6 for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.