Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in two longitudinal UK population cohorts

Abstract

Background: The impact of COVID-19 on mental health is unclear. Evidence from longitudinal studies with pre pandemic data are needed to address (1) how mental health has changed from pre-pandemic levels to during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2), whether there are groups at greater risk of poorer mental health during the pandemic? Methods: We used data from COVID-19 surveys (completed through April/May 2020), nested within two large longitudinal population cohorts with harmonised measures of mental health: two generations of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALPSAC): the index generation ALSPAC-G1 (n= 2850, mean age 28) and the parents generation ALSPAC-G0 (n= 3720, mean age = 59) and Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS, (n= 4233, mean age = 59), both with validated pre-pandemic measures of mental health and baseline factors. To answer question 1, we used ALSPAC-G1, which has identical mental health measures before and during the pandemic. Question 2 was addressed using both studies, using pre-pandemic and COVID-19 specific factors to explore associations with depression and anxiety in COVID-19. Findings: In ALSPAC-G1 there was evidence that anxiety and lower wellbeing, but not depression, had increased in COVID-19 from pre-pandemic assessments. The percentage of individuals with probable anxiety disorder was almost double during COVID-19: 24% (95% CI 23%, 26%) compared to pre-pandemic levels (13%, 95% CI 12%, 14%), with clinically relevant effect sizes. In both ALSPAC and GS, depression and anxiety were greater in younger populations, women, those with pre-existing mental and physical health conditions, those living alone and in socio-economic adversity. We did not detect evidence for elevated risk in key workers or health care workers. Interpretation: These results suggest increases in anxiety and lower wellbeing that may be related to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or its management, particularly in young people. This research highlights that specific groups may be disproportionally at risk of elevated levels of depression and anxiety during COVID-19 and supports recent calls for increasing funds for mental health services. Funding: The UK Medical Research Council (MRC), the Wellcome Trust and University of Bristol.

Loneliness and Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Associations with Personality and Emotion Regulation

“…Because countries differ widely in the implemented distancing measures, the progression of the pandemic, the national economic and social consequences, and the burden on the public healthcare system, more research is needed to examine the mid-and long-term effects of public life restrictions on people's well-being and mental health. Preferably, such studies should use longitudinal designs (e.g., Kwong et al 2020) and should be conducted across countries (e.g., Ammar et al 2020).…”

The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being and Psychological Distress: Impact Upon a Single Country

“…This is the first study to examine mental health of a nation for a period well into the COVID-19 crisis and lock-down (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16) weeks) and to compare this to data for a comparable sample before the advent of COVID-19 (2019). We also took measures of both psychological well-being and of clinically significant levels of mental distress using well-established instruments.…”

“…There are also an increasing number of yet-to-be peerreviewed reports that attest to deterioration of mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24). However, the current report does not provide an in-depth review of this material due to concern expressed by others (25,26) that some of these data may be misleading due to not having been appropriately peer-reviewed.…”

Mental Health and Economic Concerns from March to May during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada

“…Unfortunately, the findings are scarce and contradictory. For instance, a UK study described a "pronounced and prolonged" deterioration of mental health from April to June 2020 (Kwong et al, 2020). In contrast, no significant changes in anxiety and depression levels were apparent in a sample of Chinese adults from February to March, 2020(Wang et al, 2020.…”