Biopsychosocial response to the COVID-19 lockdown in people with major depressive disorder and multiple sclerosis

Abstract

BackgroundChanges in lifestyle, finances and work status during COVID-19 lockdowns may have led to biopsychosocial changes in people with pre-existing vulnerabilities such as Major Depressive Disorders (MDD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).MethodsData were collected as a part of the RADAR-CNS (Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse – Central Nervous System) programme. We analyzed the following data from long-term participants in a decentralized multinational study: symptoms of depression, heart rate (HR) during the day and night; social activity; sedentary state, steps and physical activity of varying intensity. Linear mixed-effects regression analyses with repeated measures were fitted to assess the changes among three time periods (pre, during and post-lockdown) across the groups, adjusting for depression severity before the pandemic and gender.ResultsParticipants with MDD (N=255) and MS (N=214) were included in the analyses. Overall, depressive symptoms remained stable across the three periods in both groups. Lower mean HR and HR variation were observed between pre and during lockdown during the day for MDD and during the night for MS. HR variation during rest periods also decreased between pre-and post-lockdown in both clinical conditions. We observed a reduction of physical activity for MDD and MS upon the introduction of lockdowns. The group with MDD exhibited a net increase in social interaction via social network apps over the three periods.ConclusionsBehavioral response to the lockdown measured by social activity, physical activity and HR may reflect changes in stress in people with MDD and MS.

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on a cohort of adults with recurrent major depressive disorder from Catalonia: a decentralized longitudinal study using remote measurement technology

“…To adequately understand the impact of the pandemic on depression severity, we need longitudinal studies able to include people with a recent history of MDD. Two previous publications (Leightley et al, 2021; Siddi, et al, 2022) using data from the Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse-Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD) study (Matcham et al, 2019), explored the depression severity pre-, during, and post-lockdown periods in people with a history of MDD from Spain, UK and the Netherlands, and observed that patients who displayed significant depressive symptoms shortly before the COVID-19 outbreak decreased in their severity between pre- and during the lockdown (Leightley et al, 2021). However, Leightley et al (2021) and Siddi et al (2022) only considered three periods: pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown, but the social restrictions during the post-lockdown were in many places lifted gradually and in different stages, which implies significant differences across countries.…”

“…Two previous publications (Leightley et al, 2021; Siddi, et al, 2022) using data from the Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse-Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD) study (Matcham et al, 2019), explored the depression severity pre-, during, and post-lockdown periods in people with a history of MDD from Spain, UK and the Netherlands, and observed that patients who displayed significant depressive symptoms shortly before the COVID-19 outbreak decreased in their severity between pre- and during the lockdown (Leightley et al, 2021). However, Leightley et al (2021) and Siddi et al (2022) only considered three periods: pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown, but the social restrictions during the post-lockdown were in many places lifted gradually and in different stages, which implies significant differences across countries. The regional and local impact of the COVID-19 crisis has been highly heterogeneous with significant implications for crisis management and policy responses ( The Territorial Impact of COVID-19: Managing the Crisis across Levels of Government , n.d.).…”