The COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Inequality of Opportunity in Psychological Distress in the UK

Davillas, Apostolos; Jones, Andrew M.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3614940

Cited by 57 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Results from this longitudinal analysis of incidence of CMD in the UK adult population from April to July 2020 is strongly corroborated by the repeated cross-sectional surveys from the ONS Opinions and Lifestyles survey for Great Britain, which found that levels of anxiety decreased considerably and steadily since the 20th of March 2020 from nearly half of the population to 28% on the 21 st of June (Davies, R, 2020). Furthermore, The UCL COVID-19 social study of 90,000 UK adults found that levels of anxiety and depression fell in early June as lockdown measures began to lift .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

The mental health impact of COVID-19 and lockdown-related stressors among adults in the UK

et al. 2020

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Background The COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and subsequent lockdown may have affected the mental health of the population. This study examines whether there was an increase in the prevalence and incidence of common mental disorders (CMD) in the UK adult population during the first months of lockdown and whether changes in CMD were associated with stressors related to the pandemic and lockdown. Methods Longitudinal data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study waves 10–11: 2019–2020 and waves 1–4 of the COVID-19 monthly surveys in April (n = 17 761) to July 2020 (n = 13 754), a representative sample of UK adult population, were analysed. CMD was measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) (cut-off >2). Changes in CMD were analysed in relation to COVID-19 and social stressors. Results Around 29% of adults without CMD less than a year earlier had a CMD in April 2020. However, by July 2020, monthly incidence of CMD had reduced to 9%. Most employment, financial and psychological ‘shocks’ were at their highest levels in April and reduced steadily in later months. Despite the lifting of some lockdown conditions by July, stressors related to loneliness, unemployment, financial problems and domestic work continued to influence CMD. Conclusion Some COVID-19 policy responses such as furloughing may have been effective in mitigating the increase in CMD for some groups of employees. Despite some reduction in levels of pandemic and lockdown-related stressors by the middle of 2020, loneliness and financial stressors remained key determinants of incidence in CMD among the UK adult population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

The mental health impact of COVID-19 and lockdown-related stressors among adults in the UK

et al. 2020

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“…Age was associated with psychological distress, χ 2 (18, N = 12,407) = 762.37, p < 0.001, see Table 3. Levels of distress were least in the oldest (75+) group, with 33.8% having clinical significance and 8.0% being classified as "severe, " and greatest in the youngest group (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24) with 76.6 and 36.2%, respectively. Calculation of odds ratios using the oldest group as the comparison shows that individuals with severe psychological distress are 6.50 times more likely to be in the youngest age group in comparison to the oldest age group.…”

Section: Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…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.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

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

et al. 2020

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The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have affected the psychological well-being and mental health of many people. Data on prevalence rates of mental health problems are needed for mental health service planning. Psychological well-being and prevalence of clinically significant mental distress were measured in a large sample from Wales 11–16 weeks into lockdown and compared to population-based data collected in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected using an online survey disseminated across Wales and open to adults (age 16+) from 9th June to 13th July 2020. Psychological well-being was indexed via the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and psychological distress was indexed via the K10. Data from 12,989 people who took part in this study were compared to that from April 2018 - March 2019, gathered by the National Survey for Wales ( N = 11,922). Well-being showed a large decrease from 2019 levels. Clinically significant psychological distress was found in around 50% of the population (men = 47.4%, women = 58.6%), with around 20% showing “severe” effects (men = 17.0%, women = 20.9%): a 3–4-fold increase in prevalence. Most affected were young people, women, and those in deprived areas. By June-July 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic had dramatic effects on the mental health of people living in Wales (and by implication those in the UK and beyond). The effects are larger than previous reports. This probably reflects that the current data were taken deeper into the lockdown period than previous evaluations. Mental health services need to prepare for this wave of mental health problems with an emphasis on younger adults, women, and in areas of greater deprivation.

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“…In the same vein, the newness and the unknown of the Covid-19 pandemic together with the instantaneous changes in mortality statistics may affect individuals' mental well-being leading to heightened fear, worry, and stress (World Health Organization 2020c). Indeed, early evidence suggests that the Covid-19 outbreak has triggered anxiety and influenced mental well-being negatively (Adams-Prassl et al 2020; Davillas and Jones 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-country differences in anxiety and behavioral response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Buyukkececi

2020

European Societies

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The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting health, social, mental, and economic wellbeing worldwide, and taking precautions and cooperation is crucial at the individual level. Using data from various sources, this study examines crosscountry differences in anxiety levels and behavioral responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, I investigate how economic preferences and development at the country-level are associated with anxiety and behavioral response and whether these factors explain contextual differences. Results show that anxiety was less common among more patient and developed societies. Yet, altruistic societies suffered more from anxiety. Higher levels of positive reciprocity and trust were also associated with stronger healthprotective behavioral responses. These findings are important in eliciting the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic for different societies during the ongoing pandemic.

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The COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Inequality of Opportunity in Psychological Distress in the UK

Cited by 57 publications

References 18 publications

The mental health impact of COVID-19 and lockdown-related stressors among adults in the UK

The mental health impact of COVID-19 and lockdown-related stressors among adults in the UK

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

Cross-country differences in anxiety and behavioral response to the Covid-19 pandemic

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