Impact of housing conditions on changes in youth’s mental health following the initial national COVID-19 lockdown: a cohort study

Abstract

We aimed to investigate if declines in youth’s mental health during lockdown were dependent on housing condition among 7445 youth (median age ~ 20 years) from the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC), with data collected at 18 years of age and again three weeks into the first national lockdown (April 2020). We examined associations between housing conditions (access to outdoor spaces, urbanicity, household density, and household composition) and changes in mental health (mental well-being, Quality of Life (QoL) and loneliness). We report results from multivariate linear and logistic regression models. Youth without access to outdoor spaces experienced greater declines in mental well-being (vs. garden; mean difference: − 0·75 (95% CI − 1·14, − 0·36)), and correspondingly greater odds of onset of low mental well-being (vs. garden; OR: 1·72 (95% CI 1·20, 2·48)). Youth in higher density households vs. below median or living alone vs. with parents only also had greater odds of onset of low mental well-being (OR: 1·26 (95% CI 1·08, 1·46) and OR: 1·62 (95% CI 1·17, 2·23), respectively). Living in denser households (vs. below median; OR: 1·18 (95% CI 1·06, 1·33), as well as living alone (vs. with parents; OR: 1·38 (95% CI 1·04, 1·82) was associated with onset of low QoL. Living alone more than doubled odds of onset of loneliness compared to living with parents, OR: 2·12 (95% CI 1·59, 2·82). Youth living alone, in denser households, and without direct access to outdoor spaces may be especially vulnerable to mental health declines.

Effect of Housing Quality on the Mental Health of University Students during the COVID-19 Lockdown

“…Studies published in recent literature have started investigating, in a systematic way, the overall quality of built environment [ 29 , 30 ] and living spaces, revealing that the absence of accessible outdoor space from the house (e.g., garden, terrace) contributed to concerning levels of psychological and behavioral symptomatology [ 31 ], confirming that housing environments could be associated with the mental health and wellbeing of residents [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. While mental illnesses can be investigated through structured and validated scales, housing quality is mainly assessed in terms of occupants’ perception, due to the complexity of surveying a high number of different apartments and the low psychometric reliability of existing tools [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ].…”

Risk and protective factors for new‐onset binge eating, low weight, and self‐harm symptoms in >35,000 individuals in the UK during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…This highlights that the ability to choose and adapt to changes in your environment may be important for your mental health, particularly at times of high stress. Indeed, living in a more crowded household or one without access to a garden has been linked to poorer mental health during the pandemic (Groot et al, 2022 ). However, it is important to note that choosing one's living situation is limited to a privileged minority; for most people, this is limited by financial constraints, place of work, and familial responsibilities.…”

Differences in and drivers of mental, social, functional, and financial well-being during COVID-19: Evidence from Australia, France, Germany, and South Africa

“…Fifth (H5), we expect that objective living conditions are associated with individual well-being during the pandemic. Aspects such as household size [ 14 ], area of residence and presence of an outdoor space [ 15 , 33 ], relationship status [ 34 ], and number of dependents [ 35 ] can all affect individual well-being. Lockdowns stressed the importance of living in a low-density neighborhood, having enough indoor space, and access to outdoor space to sustain one’s well-being [ 36 , 37 ].…”