Predictors of longer-term depression trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in four UK cohorts.
Evid Based Ment Health
; 25(4): e3, 2022 11.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1962327
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in mental ill health compared with prepandemic levels. Longer-term trajectories of depression in adults during the pandemic remain unclear.OBJECTIVE:
We used latent growth curve modelling to examine individual trajectories of depression symptoms, and their predictors, beyond the early stage of the pandemic.METHODS:
Data were collected in three waves in May 2020, September/October 2020 and February/March 2021 in four UK cohorts (Millennium Cohort Study, Next Steps cohort, British Cohort and National Child Development Study). We included n=16 978 participants (mean age at baseline 20, 30, 50 and 62, respectively). Self-reported depressive symptoms were the study outcome.FINDINGS:
Symptoms of depression were higher in younger compared with older age groups (d=0.7) across all waves. While depressive symptoms remained stable from May 2020 to Autumn 2020 overall (standardized mean difference (SMD)=0.03, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.04), they increased in all age groups from May 2020 to Spring 2021 (SMD=0.12, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.13). Feelings of loneliness were the strongest predictor and concurrent correlate of increasing depressive symptoms across all cohorts, prepandemic mental health problems and having a long-term illness were also significantly associated with an increase in depression symptoms across all ages. By contrast, compliance with social distancing measures did not predict an increase in depression symptoms.CONCLUSIONS:
Feeling lonely and isolated had a large effect on depression trajectories across all generations, while social distancing measures did not. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS These findings highlight the importance of fostering the feeling of connectedness during COVID-19-related distancing measures.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
/
Young adult
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Evid Based Ment Health
Journal subject:
Psychology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ebmental-2022-300461
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