Predictors of longer-term depression trajectories during the Covid-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in four UK cohorts
Predictors of longer-term depression trajectories during the Covid-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in four UK cohorts
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.
COVID-19, adult psychiatry, depression & mood disorders
e3
Rosa, Lara
7f25e105-127a-4e4b-9761-4177903059e9
Godwin, Hayward
033d2282-3553-4ba9-b66e-7ebde8fedb5a
Cortese, Samuele
53d4bf2c-4e0e-4c77-9385-218350560fdb
Brandt, Valerie
e41f5832-70e4-407d-8a15-85b861761656
17 November 2022
Rosa, Lara
7f25e105-127a-4e4b-9761-4177903059e9
Godwin, Hayward
033d2282-3553-4ba9-b66e-7ebde8fedb5a
Cortese, Samuele
53d4bf2c-4e0e-4c77-9385-218350560fdb
Brandt, Valerie
e41f5832-70e4-407d-8a15-85b861761656
Rosa, Lara, Godwin, Hayward, Cortese, Samuele and Brandt, Valerie
(2022)
Predictors of longer-term depression trajectories during the Covid-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in four UK cohorts.
Evidence-Based Mental Health, 25 (4), , [300461].
(doi:10.1136/ebmental-2022-300461).
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.
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Accepted/In Press date: 18 July 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 July 2022
Published date: 17 November 2022
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Keywords:
COVID-19, adult psychiatry, depression & mood disorders
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Local EPrints ID: 470629
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/470629
ISSN: 1362-0347
PURE UUID: 85600a92-65e2-439c-ad41-f50c473ac71a
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Date deposited: 14 Oct 2022 17:08
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:37
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Author:
Lara Rosa
Author:
Hayward Godwin
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