Women's Depressive Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Pregnancy.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Yirmiya K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8072624 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:ObjectiveThis study aimed to estimate the occurrence of depressive symptoms in a global population of young, middle-aged and older adults amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Study data also assessed the impact of the social restrictions caused by the pandemic on depressive symptomatology.MethodsA self-administered internet-based survey was completed by 111,225 individuals residing in 176 countries (March-April 2020). We retained: demographic data, depressive symptoms (PHQ8), anxieties specific to the COVID-19, personality traits (Big-Five Personality Questionnaire), comorbidity frequency, health quality, behavioral variables (i,e., staying at home, avoiding social gatherings, social distancing in the past week). Occurrence of depressive symptoms was estimated using standard cut-offs (total PHQ8 score ≥ 10). Hierarchical regression modeling examined correlates of depressive symptoms (PHQ8 score) in three groups stratified by age, i.e., 18-34, 35-54 and 55+ years.ResultsModerate to severe depressive symptoms were present in 27% of young, 15% middle-aged and 9% older adults. Younger age, female gender, not partnered, higher anxiety, and poorer health were associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Staying at home/not attending social gatherings were minor contributors to depressive symptoms in young and middle-aged adults. These were not significant in older adults. Social distancing was a marginal contributor in middle-aged and near significant in older adults, but not significant in young adults.ConclusionsThe occurrence of depressive symptoms is decreasing with advancing age. Increased risk of depressive symptoms was associated with being a younger adult, females, single/divorced, poorer health and higher anxiety. In all age groups, the presence of depressive symptoms was greater than global estimates preceding the COVID-19 pandemic. Social restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic were marginal risks for depressive symptoms.
| S-EPMC9838027 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundStudents are a vulnerable group for the indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly their mental health. This paper examined the cross-national variation in students' depressive symptoms and whether this can be related to the various protective measures implemented in response to the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak.MethodsStudent data stem from the COVID-19 International Student Well-being Study, covering 26 countries during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Country-level data on government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic were retrieved from the Oxford COVID-19 Tracker. Multilevel analyses were performed to estimate the impact of the containment and economic support measures on students' depressive symptoms (n = 78 312).ResultsSchool and workplace closures, and stay-at-home restrictions were positively related to students' depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, while none of the economic support measures significantly related to depressive symptoms. Countries' scores on the index of these containment measures explained 1.5% of the cross-national variation in students' depressive symptoms (5.3%). This containment index's effect was stable, even when controlling for the economic support index, students' characteristics, and countries' epidemiological context and economic conditions.ConclusionsOur findings raise concerns about the potential adverse effects of existing containment measures (especially the closure of schools and workplaces and stay-at-home restrictions) on students' mental health.
| S-EPMC8992322 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study reviews the existing literature on psychiatric interventions for individuals affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. My article cumulates previous research on how extreme stressors associated with COVID-19 may aggravate or cause psychiatric problems. The unpredictability of the COVID-19 epidemic progression may result in significant psychological pressure on vulnerable populations. Persons with psychiatric illnesses may experience worsening symptoms or may develop an altered mental state related to an increased suicide risk. The inspected findings prove that psychological intervention measures for patients affected by the epidemic should be designed and personalized adequately. Preventive measures seek to decrease infection rates and cut down the risk of the public healthcare system to eventually be overburdened. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, people with psychiatric illnesses may confront a decrease in mental health services. As limitations in the current review, by focusing only on articles published in journals indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest, I inevitably disregarded other valuable sources. Subsequent research directions should clarify the effectiveness of online mental health services in providing remote psychiatric interventions to individuals affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.
| S-EPMC7769944 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThere is considerable heterogeneity within populations regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. This study aimed at identifying latent groups of individuals within the older Austrian population that differ in their mental health trajectories across three phases of the pandemic.Study designData were gathered from a longitudinal survey study among a sample of older adults in Austria. The survey was carried out in May 2020 (N1 = 556), March 2021 (N2 = 462), and December 2021 (N3 = 370) via either computer-assisted web or telephone interviewing.MethodsLatent class growth analysis was conducted to explore different homogenous groups in terms of non-linear trajectories of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms as well as potential correlates thereof.ResultsWe identified four latent classes. The vast majority of individuals belong to two classes that are either resilient (71%) or that have recovered relatively quickly from an initial COVID-19 shock (10.2%). Deterioration in mental health after the first phase of the pandemic (13.4%) or a generally high mental health burden (5.4%) characterizes the other two classes.ConclusionsAbout 19% of individuals showed increasing or elevated levels in loneliness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms across the COVID-19 pandemic. The feeling of being socially supported and in control over one's own life emerged as potentially protective factors.
| S-EPMC9411147 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo explore experiences of symptoms of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 illness among women using the CovidWatcher mobile citizen science app.DesignConvergent parallel mixed-methods design.ParticipantsTwenty-eight self-identified women consented for follow-up after using CovidWatcher. Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 83 years old.MethodsWe collected data via semistructured, virtual interviews and surveys: the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures. We used directed content analysis to develop codes, categories, themes, and subthemes from the qualitative data and summarized survey data with descriptive statistics.ResultsWe derived five themes related to symptom experiences: (a) Physical Symptoms, (b) Mental Health Symptoms, (c) Symptom Intensity, (d) Symptom Burden, and (e) Symptom Trajectories. Subthemes reflected more nuanced experiences of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 disease. For those without COVID-19, anxiety and mental health symptoms were still present. Of those who attested to one of the PROMIS-measured symptoms, all but one had at least mild severity in one of their reported symptoms.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the cross-cutting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals who identify as women. Future research and clinical practice guidelines should focus on alleviating physical and mental health symptoms related to the ongoing pandemic, regardless of COVID-19 diagnosis. Furthermore, clinicians should consider how patients can use symptom reconciliation apps and tracking systems.
| S-EPMC9575040 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In network theory depression is conceptualized as a complex network of individual symptoms that influence each other, and central symptoms in the network have the greatest impact on other symptoms. Clinical features of depression are largely determined by sociocultural context. No previous study examined the network structure of depressive symptoms in Hong Kong residents. The aim of this study was to characterize the depressive symptom network structure in a community adult sample in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 11,072 participants were recruited between 24 March and 20 April 2020. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The network structure of depressive symptoms was characterized, and indices of "strength", "betweenness", and "closeness" were used to identify symptoms central to the network. Network stability was examined using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure. Guilt, Sad Mood, and Energy symptoms had the highest centrality values. In contrast, Concentration, Suicide, and Sleep had lower centrality values. There were no significant differences in network global strength (p = 0.259), distribution of edge weights (p = 0.73) and individual edge weights (all p values > 0.05 after Holm-Bonferroni corrections) between males and females. Guilt, Sad Mood, and Energy symptoms were central in the depressive symptom network. These central symptoms may be targets for focused treatments and future psychological and neurobiological research to gain novel insight into depression.
| S-EPMC8419676 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceMarked elevation in levels of depressive symptoms compared with historical norms have been described during the COVID-19 pandemic, and understanding the extent to which these are associated with diminished in-person social interaction could inform public health planning for future pandemics or other disasters.ObjectiveTo describe the association between living in a US county with diminished mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic and self-reported depressive symptoms, while accounting for potential local and state-level confounding factors.Design, setting, and participantsThis survey study used 18 waves of a nonprobability internet survey conducted in the United States between May 2020 and April 2022. Participants included respondents who were 18 years and older and lived in 1 of the 50 US states or Washington DC.Main outcome and measureDepressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); county-level community mobility estimates from mobile apps; COVID-19 policies at the US state level from the Oxford stringency index.ResultsThe 192 271 survey respondents had a mean (SD) of age 43.1 (16.5) years, and 768 (0.4%) were American Indian or Alaska Native individuals, 11 448 (6.0%) were Asian individuals, 20 277 (10.5%) were Black individuals, 15 036 (7.8%) were Hispanic individuals, 1975 (1.0%) were Pacific Islander individuals, 138 702 (72.1%) were White individuals, and 4065 (2.1%) were individuals of another race. Additionally, 126 381 respondents (65.7%) identified as female and 65 890 (34.3%) as male. Mean (SD) depression severity by PHQ-9 was 7.2 (6.8). In a mixed-effects linear regression model, the mean county-level proportion of individuals not leaving home was associated with a greater level of depression symptoms (β, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.57-3.58) after adjustment for individual sociodemographic features. Results were similar after the inclusion in regression models of local COVID-19 activity, weather, and county-level economic features, and persisted after widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccination. They were attenuated by the inclusion of state-level pandemic restrictions. Two restrictions, mandatory mask-wearing in public (β, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.15-0.30) and policies cancelling public events (β, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.22-0.51), demonstrated modest independent associations with depressive symptom severity.Conclusions and relevanceIn this study, depressive symptoms were greater in locales and times with diminished community mobility. Strategies to understand the potential public health consequences of pandemic responses are needed.
| S-EPMC10534266 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Poor mental health is a growing concern among young people during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the associations of Internet addiction with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress in higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to examine these mental health problems in the context of study-related characteristics. The research sample consisted of 3,099 participants from the Czech Republic (CZ: 1,422) and Slovak Republic (SK: 1,677). The Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire for depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used to measure mental health problems. The analyses also included demographic data (gender and age) and study-related characteristics (form of study, degree of study, field of study, distance between college and home, and housing during the semester). Based on the results of frequency and descriptive analyses, the prevalence of mental health problems was high. The most serious levels of Internet addiction (IAT cut-off point ≥ 50), to which attention should be paid, were found in 3.5% of Czech and 6.2% of Slovak students. Using the standard cut-off point of GAD-7 ≥ 10, 14.1% of Czech and 11.6% of Slovak students were identified with anxiety symptoms. Regarding the PHQ-9 with the cut-off point ≥ 10, 23.4% of Czech and 19.1% of Slovak students had depressive symptoms, which should be addressed. Using the PSS cut-off point ≥ 27, 12.9% of Czech students and 9.1% of Slovak students perceived high stress. The quantile regression analysis showed that Internet addiction was positively associated with anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and stress in all of the analyzed cases (p-value < 0.001). In terms of study-related characteristics, the binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that risk factors for mental health problems in Czech and Slovak students were mainly full-time form of study and living away from home during the semester. Internet addiction, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and stress are issues that require increased attention, and professionals and policy-makers should implement interventions to effectively prevent and help students with psychological problems.
| S-EPMC9237380 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesWe examined the association between social frailty and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Additionally, we investigated whether home exercise habits moderated the impact of social frailty on depressive symptoms.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 1,103 community-dwelling older adults (54.0% female, mean age [standard deviation] = 81.1 [5.0] years) from a semi-urban area of Japan who completed a mailed questionnaire survey in October 2020. Social frailty status was categorized as non-social frailty, pre-social frailty, and social frailty, which was assessed by financial difficulties, living alone, lack of social activity, and contact with neighbors. Depressive symptoms were defined as a Kessler 6 score ≥5. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine the association between social frailty and depressive symptoms, and also conducted stratified analysis of home exercise habits during the pandemic.ResultsA total of 309 (28.0%) participants had depressive symptoms. Compared with non-social frailty, social frailty was associated with depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 1.80, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.16-2.79, p = 0.009). A similar relationship was observed in those who did not exercise at home (OR = 2.10, 95%CI = 1.14-3.84, p =0.017). However, no such relationship was observed in those who did exercise at home (OR = 1.50, 95%CI = 0.79-2.85, p =0.213).ConclusionsSocial frailty was associated with a risk of depressive symptoms during the pandemic. In addition, our findings suggested that home exercise may buffer the association between social frailty and depressive symptoms.
| S-EPMC8536512 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPopulation health and well-being in Latin America, the current epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been severely affected during the past semester. Despite the growing evidence about the link between the pandemic, its control measures, and mental health worldwide, there is still no regional evidence of the potential mental health impact. We describe the prevalence and distribution of depressive symptoms across demographic and socioeconomic risk factors in the Peruvian population amidst a national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsCross-sectional study conducted during the community transmission phase and national lockdown in Peru (May 4th-16th, 2020). We recorded 64,493 responses from adult Peruvian residents through an opt-in online questionnaire. All analyses were weighted using raking based on proportions of sociodemographic variables from the last Peruvian census in 2017. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was calculated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score of 10 or more. We identified associated demographic and socioeconomic factors by prior mental health diagnosis. Sensitivity analysis considered an alternative cut-off point for depressive symptoms of PHQ-9 ≥ 14.ResultsA total of 57,446 participants were included in the analytical sample. A third of the participants (n = 23,526, unweighted) showed depressive symptoms in the 2 weeks prior to the study. Participants who reported a previous mental health diagnosis doubled the sample prevalence of depressive symptoms (59, 95%CI 56.7, 61.4%) of those without a prior diagnosis. Psychosocial and functioning reactions were largely more prevalent among females and young adults. A dose-response relationship was found between household income and depressive symptoms across previous mental health diagnosis strata, being as low as 32% less in the wealthiest than the most impoverished group (PR: 0.68, 95%CI 0.58,0.79). Other critical factors associated with a higher burden of depressive symptoms were lower education level, single, unemployed, and chronic comorbidity.ConclusionsAn increased burden of depressive symptoms and psychosocial reactions has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru compared to previous years. The mental health burden disproportionately affects women, the younger population, and those with low income and education. As the country eases the social distancing measures, it is crucial to use local evidence to adjust public health policies and mental health services to the renewed population needs.
| S-EPMC7890781 | biostudies-literature