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Predictors of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in the US: Role of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing.
- Source :
-
PloS one [PLoS One] 2020 Nov 11; Vol. 15 (11), pp. e0241895. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Nov 11 (Print Publication: 2020). - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Despite the profound health and economic implications of Covid-19, there is only limited knowledge to date about the role of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing for mental health outcomes during the pandemic. We analyze online survey data from the nationally representative "Understanding America Study" (UAS) covering the period of March 10-31st 2020 (sample size: 6,585). Mental health is assessed by the validated PHQ-4 instrument for measuring symptoms of depression and anxiety. About 29% (CI:27.4-.30.4%) of the US adult population reported some depression/anxiety symptoms over the study period, with symptoms deteriorating over the month of March. Worsening mental health was most strongly associated with concerns about the economic consequences of the pandemic, while concerns about the potential implications of the virus for respondents' own health and social distancing also predicted increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety during the early stages of the pandemic in the US, albeit less strongly. Our findings point towards the possibility of a major mental health crisis unfolding simultaneously with the pandemic, with economic concerns being a key driving force of this crisis. These results highlight the likely importance of economic countermeasures and social policy for mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on adult mental health in the US over and above an effective public health response.<br />Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Anxiety diagnosis
Anxiety epidemiology
Betacoronavirus isolation & purification
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections virology
Depression diagnosis
Depression epidemiology
Female
Health Behavior
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral virology
Risk
SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections pathology
Economic Status
Mental Health
Pneumonia, Viral pathology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1932-6203
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- PloS one
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 33175894
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241895