Psychological impact of COVID-19 in the Swedish population: Depression, anxiety, and insomnia and their associations to risk and vulnerability factors

Abstract

Background:The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, with its associated restrictions on daily life, is like a perfect storm for poor mental health and wellbeing. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing during the ongoing pandemic in Sweden.Method:Standardized measures of depression, anxiety, and insomnia as well as measures of risk and vulnerability factors known to be associated with poor mental health outcomes were administered through a national, online, cross-sectional survey (n = 1,212; mean age 36.1 years; 73% women).Result:Our findings show significant levels of depression, anxiety, and insomnia in Sweden, at rates of 30%, 24.2%, and 38%, respectively. The strongest predictors of these outcomes included poor self-rated overall health and a history of mental health problems. The presence of COVID-19 symptoms and specific health and financial worries related to the pandemic also appeared important.Conclusions:The impacts of COVID-19 on mental health in Sweden are comparable to impacts shown in previous studies in Italy and China. Importantly, the pandemic seems to impose most on the mental health of those already burdened with the impacts of mental health problems. These results provide a basis for providing more support for vulnerable groups, and for developing psychological interventions suited to the ongoing pandemic and for similar events in the future.

The Psychological Functioning in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Association With Psychological Flexibility and Broader Functioning in People With Chronic Pain

“… 8 , 14 , 44 , 64 It also appeared significantly higher than the prevalence of depression in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of moderate to severe depression (defined as PHQ-9 summary scores≥10) was reported to be 21.2% in Italy, 51 30% in Sweden, 37 and 37% in the UK, 15 as compared to 80% in the current study. The prevalence of depression found here also appeared higher than, that of chronic pain patients attending pain clinics, a group known to report high levels of depression as compared to community samples.…”

The effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and measures in patients with a pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis: A cross-sectional study

“…An impressive amount of research has already been published on the mental health effects of COVID-19, although most studies focused on the general population, healthcare workers and infected people. These reports consistently show increased depression, anxiety and insomnia in these populations ( Hao et al, 2020 ; Holman et al, 2020 ; McCracken et al, 2020 ; Muller et al, 2020 ; Vindegaard and Benros, 2020 ). Pre-existing mental health problems showed to be a significant risk factor for presenting with these symptoms in some of these studies ( Hao et al, 2020 ; Holman et al, 2020 ; McCracken et al, 2020 ).…”

“…These reports consistently show increased depression, anxiety and insomnia in these populations ( Hao et al, 2020 ; Holman et al, 2020 ; McCracken et al, 2020 ; Muller et al, 2020 ; Vindegaard and Benros, 2020 ). Pre-existing mental health problems showed to be a significant risk factor for presenting with these symptoms in some of these studies ( Hao et al, 2020 ; Holman et al, 2020 ; McCracken et al, 2020 ). Even though this population is expected to be more vulnerable to the mental health effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, only a small proportion of studies focus on patients with pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses.…”

Increasing Cybercrime Since the Pandemic: Concerns for Psychiatry

“…A history of mental health problems increases the risk of the psychological impacts of the pandemic [ 42 ] in both adolescents [ 43 , 44 ] and adults [ 39 , 45 – 47 ]. People with a history of anxiety or mood disorders experience more severe pandemic-related fears [ 48 ], and those with mental problems frequently report insomnia [ 44 , 46 , 47 ]. Pandemic-related stress may increase alcohol and substance use [ 38 , 49 , 50 ].…”