Dataset Information

Self-reported changes in anxiety, depression and suicidality during the COVID-19 lockdown in Greece.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: There are only a few published empirical data on COVID-19's effects on the mental health.

Material and methods: During lockdown, an online questionnaire registered demographic, health data, previous psychiatric history, current anxiety, depression and suicidality, believing in conspiracy theories and other domains. Data from 3399 persons were used (81.08% females; aged 34.02 ± 9.72 and 18.27% males; aged 36.38±10.33). Distress and clinical depression were identified with the use of cut-off and a previously developed algorithm respectively.

Statistical analysis: A post-stratification method was used; descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables.

Results: Clinical depression was present in 9.31% of the stratified sample, while 8.5% had severe distress; increased anxiety was present in more than 45%. Suicidal thoughts increased in 10.40% and decreased in 4.42%. Beliefs in conspiracy theories were widely prevalent; at least half of cases were following various misconceptions. A model for the development of depression was created with general health status, previous history of depression, self-harm and suicidal attempts, family responsibility, economic change, and age acting as risk factors, while keeping a daily routine, pursuing religiousness/spirituality, and believing in conspiracy theories acting as protective factors.

Conclusions: The model developed here revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to clinical depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since most of these factors are modifiable. Future research, as well as interventions, should focus specifically on them.

SUBMITTER: Fountoulakis KN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7605790 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Self-reported changes in anxiety, depression and suicidality during the COVID-19 lockdown in Greece.

Fountoulakis Konstantinos N KN Apostolidou Maria K MK Atsiova Marina B MB Filippidou Anna K AK Florou Angeliki K AK Gousiou Dimitra S DS Katsara Aikaterini R AR Mantzari Sofia N SN Padouva-Markoulaki Marina M Papatriantafyllou Evangelia I EI Sacharidi Panagiota I PI Tonia Aikaterini I AI Tsagalidou Eleni G EG Zymara Vasiliki P VP Prezerakos Panagiotis E PE Koupidis Sotirios A SA Fountoulakis Nikolaos K NK Chrousos George P GP

Journal of affective disorders 20201102

<h4>Introduction</h4>There are only a few published empirical data on COVID-19's effects on the mental health.<h4>Material and methods</h4>During lockdown, an online questionnaire registered demographic, health data, previous psychiatric history, current anxiety, depression and suicidality, believing in conspiracy theories and other domains. Data from 3399 persons were used (81.08% females; aged 34.02 ± 9.72 and 18.27% males; aged 36.38±10.33). Distress and clinical depression were identified wi ...[more]

PMID: 33190113

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Project description:ImportanceThe long-term consequences of COVID-19 on mental health are a critical issue given the number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic.ObjectiveTo investigate the associations between self-reported COVID-19-like symptoms or SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity and subsequent depression or anxiety.Design, setting, and participantsThis propensity score-matched cohort study began in May 2020, with follow-ups in November 2020 and July 2021. The study used data from a large, randomly selected, national population-based cohort from France, the EpiCoV (Epidémiologie et Conditions de Vie) study. Of 85 074 individuals 15 years or older who completed the questionnaires at the 3 collection times, 28 568 were excluded because they did not return a blood sample for serologic testing, 1994 because of missing data on outcomes or exposures, and 9252 to respect the temporal sequence (exposure must precede the outcome).ExposuresPropensity scores based on various socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health variables were computed to match participants who experienced COVID-19-like symptoms between February and November 2020 or showed SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in November 2020.Main outcomes and measuresLogistic regression models were used to estimate associations between these occurrences and depression or anxiety assessed in July 2021 using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scales, respectively.ResultsAmong the 45 260 included participants (mean [SD] age, 51.1 [18.9] years; 52.4% women; 8.0% with depression and 5.3% with anxiety in July 2021), COVID-19-like symptoms were associated with subsequent depression (adjusted odds ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.45-1.99) and anxiety (adjusted OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.29-1.92), whereas SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was not. Furthermore, COVID-19-like symptoms, but not anosmia or dysgeusia alone, were associated with subsequent depression and anxiety in both the seropositive and seronegative subgroups.Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study of more than 45 000 individuals drawn from the French general population, SARS-CoV-2 infection was not found as a risk factor of subsequent depression or anxiety. Moreover, self-reported COVID-19-like symptoms were associated with depression and anxiety assessed at least 8 months later in both seropositive and seronegative subgroups, suggesting that factors other than SARS-CoV-2 infection are implied in this association.

Project description:New Zealand's early response to the novel coronavirus pandemic included a strict lockdown which eliminated community transmission of COVID-19. However, this success was not without cost, both economic and social. In our study, we examined the psychological wellbeing of New Zealanders during the COVID-19 lockdown when restrictions reduced social contact, limited recreation opportunities, and resulted in job losses and financial insecurity. We conducted an online panel survey of a demographically representative sample of 2010 adult New Zealanders in April 2020. The survey contained three standardised measures-the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), the GAD-7, and the Well-Being Index (WHO-5)-as well as questions designed specifically to measure family violence, suicidal ideation, and alcohol consumption. It also included items assessing positive aspects of the lockdown. Thirty percent of respondents reported moderate to severe psychological distress (K10), 16% moderate to high levels of anxiety, and 39% low wellbeing; well above baseline measures. Poorer outcomes were seen among young people and those who had lost jobs or had less work, those with poor health status, and who had past diagnoses of mental illness. Suicidal ideation was reported by 6%, with 2% reporting making plans for suicide and 2% reporting suicide attempts. Suicidality was highest in those aged 18-34. Just under 10% of participants had directly experienced some form of family harm over the lockdown period. However, not all consequences of the lockdown were negative, with 62% reporting 'silver linings', which included enjoying working from home, spending more time with family, and a quieter, less polluted environment. New Zealand's lockdown successfully eliminated COVID-19 from the community, but our results show this achievement brought a significant psychological toll. Although much of the debate about lockdown measures has focused on their economic effects, our findings emphasise the need to pay equal attention to their effects on psychological wellbeing.

Project description:BackgroundSuicidality is a serious public health concern at a global scale. Suicide itself is considered to be preventable death; worldwide, suicide rates and their trends are under constant scrutiny. As part of the international COMET-G cross-sectional study, we conducted a national level investigation to examine the individual disturbances (such as anxiety, depression, or history of life-threatening attempts) and contextual factors (such as adherence to conspiracy theories or Internet use) associated with suicidality related to the COVID-19 lockdown in a lot of Romanian adults.Participants and methodsOne thousand four hundred and forty-six adults responded to an anonymous on-line questionnaire, with mean age ± standard deviation of 47.03 ± 14.21 years (1,142 females, 292 males, 12 identified themselves as non-binary). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM).ResultsUnivariate analysis showed strong significant correlation between anxiety and depression scorings among the respondents (Spearman R = 0.776, p < 0.001). Both the suicidality scorings and the Internet use correlated fairly with anxiety and depression, with two-by-two Spearman coefficients between R = 0.334 and R = 0.370 (p < 0.001 for each). SEM analysis substantiated the emotional disturbances, previous life-threatening attempts, and younger age as significant predictors for suicidality. The patterns of reality reading (including religious inquiries, Internet use, and beliefs in conspiracy theories) did not reach the statistical significance as influential factors in the suicidality of these respondents. There was no covariance between the Internet use and belief in conspiracy theories.ConclusionThe study confirmed the suicidality risk initially hypothesized as being associated with the history of life-threatening attempts, increased depression within the younger population, and higher anxiety during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdown. National strategies for effective interventions at various levels of the healthcare system should be developed.

Dataset Information

Self-reported changes in anxiety, depression and suicidality during the COVID-19 lockdown in Greece.

Publications

Self-reported changes in anxiety, depression and suicidality during the COVID-19 lockdown in Greece.

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