The loneliness pandemic: Loneliness and other concomitants of depression, anxiety and their comorbidity during the COVID-19 outbreak

Palgi, Yuval; Shrira, Amit; Ring, Lia; Bodner, Ehud; Avidor, Sharon; Bergman, Yoav S.; Cohen-Fridel, Sara; Keisari, Shoshi; Hoffman, Yaakov

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.036

Cited by 457 publications

(483 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…This finding is consistent with a recent UK-based finding that their citizens were more concerned about how societal changes will impact their psychological and financial wellbeing, than becoming unwell with the virus ( 7 ). This finding is also consistent with emergent work indicating that loneliness is playing a central role in the observed mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic ( 22 – 24 ). Altogether then, it is evident that the necessary public health arrangements surrounding the pandemic are having serious implications for community mental health, via their disruption to social and work functioning.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

The Effect of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Wellbeing in a Representative Sample of Australian Adults

et al. 2020

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There is minimal knowledge about the impact of large-scale epidemics on community mental health, particularly during the acute phase. This gap in knowledge means we are critically ill-equipped to support communities as they face the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to provide data urgently needed to inform government policy and resource allocation now and in other future crises. The study was the first to survey a representative sample from the Australian population at the early acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression, anxiety, and psychological wellbeing were measured with well-validated scales (PHQ-9, GAD-7, WHO-5). Using linear regression, we tested for associations between mental health and exposure to COVID-19, impacts of COVID-19 on work and social functioning, and socio-demographic factors. Depression and anxiety symptoms were substantively elevated relative to usual population data, including for individuals with no existing mental health diagnosis. Exposure to COVID-19 had minimal association with mental health outcomes. Recent exposure to the Australian bushfires was also unrelated to depression and anxiety, although bushfire smoke exposure correlated with reduced psychological wellbeing. In contrast, pandemic-induced impairments in work and social functioning were strongly associated with elevated depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as decreased psychological wellbeing. Financial distress due to the pandemic, rather than job loss per se , was also a key correlate of poorer mental health. These findings suggest that minimizing disruption to work and social functioning, and increasing access to mental health services in the community, are important policy goals to minimize pandemic-related impacts on mental health and wellbeing. Innovative and creative strategies are needed to meet these community needs while continuing to enact vital public health strategies to control the spread of COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

The Effect of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Wellbeing in a Representative Sample of Australian Adults

et al. 2020

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“…For instance, older age was consistently predictive of less PTSD, depression, and anxiety in most countries in this COVID-19 context. In a recent study, Palgi et al ( 2020 ) found similar results. The authors that, while old age increased the risk of the negative physical impact of COVID-19, age was unrelated to depression or anxiety.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…COVID-19 pandemic’s socioeconomic and mental health impacts are unprecedented, with worldwide economic loss, travel restrictions, closure of business activities, social distancing, isolation and quarantine, and fear of shortage of basic needs (e.g., McKibbin & Fernando, 2020 ; Ornell, Schuch, Sordi, & Kessler, 2020 ; Palgi et al, 2020 ; Porcelli, 2020 ; Usher, Bhullar, & Jackson, 2020 ). Sources of COVID-related distress include constant fear of contracting the virus, actually contracting the virus, losing loved ones to the illness, and being socially isolated or quarantined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, COVID-19 consists of multiple complex traumas. COVID-19 traumatic stress includes at least three main threats (Kira, Shuwiekh, et al, 2020b ): threat/fear of the present and future infection and potential subsequent death (e.g., Ornell et al, 2020 ; Porcelli, 2020 ), the actual economic hardship (e.g., McKibbin & Fernando, 2020 ), and the stressors and traumatic stressors related to the disturbed life routines, isolation, and family and social life (Brooks et al, 2020 ; Palgi et al, 2020 ; Usher et al, 2020 ). Additionally, COVID-19 is a mass collective and global pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The differential mental health impact of COVID-19 in Arab countries

et al. 2020

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COVID-19 pandemic’s mental health impact on Arab countries is under-researched. The goal of this investigation was to study the differential impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Arab countries. A questionnaire including measures of COVID-19 traumatic stress, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and cumulative stressors and trauma was distributed anonymously online in seven Arab countries (Egypt ( N = 255), Kuwait ( N = 442), Jordan ( N = 216), Saudi Arabia ( N = 212, Algeria ( N = 110), Iraq and Palestine ( N = 139)). We used ANOVA and stepwise regression to analyze the data. For each country, regression, PTSD, depression, and anxiety were dependent variables; we entered in the first-step, gender, age, religion, education, and income. In the second step, we entered “cumulative stressors and traumas.” In the third step, we entered COVID-19 traumatic stress. The ANOVA results indicated that the differences in COVID19 traumatic stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety between the countries were significant. Post-hoc analysis indicated that Egypt is significantly higher than all the other Arab countries in COVID-19 traumatic stress, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The subsample from Palestine and Iraq had a significantly higher cumulative trauma load than the other Arab countries but did not have higher levels of COVID-19 traumatic stress or PTSD. Stepwise regression indicated that COVID-19 traumatic stress accounted for significant variance above and beyond the variance accounted for by previous cumulative stressors and traumas for anxiety in all countries and PTSD and depression in all countries except for Algeria. We discussed the implications for these results for the urgent mental health needs of Arab countries. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s12144-020-01148-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…During the majority of this time, the Israeli government had imposed quarantine on the entire population, apart from limited activities, such as healthcare and essential grocery shopping. In Israel, recent studies identified elevated levels of depression which were predicted by loneliness due to the social-distancing policy (37). In particular, COVID-19 related worries were associated with heightened anxiety and depression (38).…”

Section: Participants and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative Affect, Fatalism, and Perceived Institutional Betrayal in Times of the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Control Beliefs

et al. 2020

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Background: A growing number of studies report that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in diverse aversive psychological reactions and created a global mental health crisis. However, the specific mechanisms underlying the negative emotional reactions as well as the differences between countries are only beginning to be explored. The present study examined the association of COVID-19-related fear and negative affect in Israel and Switzerland. The mediating roles of three control beliefs were explored, namely, fatalism, locus of control, and perceived institutional betrayal. Method: General population samples of 595 Swiss and 639 Israeli participants were recruited and completed an online self-report survey. Moderated Mediation using multigroup path analysis models for the two samples were conducted and compared using AMOS. Results: The multigroup path model had excellent fit for both samples. The different paths were moderated by country affiliation. Higher levels of COVID-19-related fear were associated with negative affect to an equal extent in both samples. COVID-19-related fear was associated with higher reports of institutional betrayal and a lower locus of control in both samples. Higher COVID-19-related fear was associated with lower fatalism in the Swiss sample only. In both samples, institutional betrayal mediated the association between COVID-19-related fear and negative affect, however, locus of control was a mediator in the Israeli sample only. Conclusion: The current results suggest that the reaction of the government was of crucial importance with regard to the emotional state of the two populations. Interestingly, while in the context of adversity fatalism is generally considered a risk factor for mental health, during the time of the pandemic it seems to have had protective qualities among the Swiss population. Interventions that strengthen the personal locus of control have the potential to mitigate the negative affect in Israel but not in Switzerland. Despite the fact that COVID-19 is a global phenomenon, prevention and intervention strategies should be adjusted to local contexts.

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The loneliness pandemic: Loneliness and other concomitants of depression, anxiety and their comorbidity during the COVID-19 outbreak

Cited by 457 publications

References 12 publications

The Effect of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Wellbeing in a Representative Sample of Australian Adults

The Effect of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Wellbeing in a Representative Sample of Australian Adults

The differential mental health impact of COVID-19 in Arab countries

Negative Affect, Fatalism, and Perceived Institutional Betrayal in Times of the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Control Beliefs

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