Effects of COVID-19-related worry and rumination on mental health and loneliness during the pandemic: Longitudinal analyses of adults in the UK COVID-19 Mental Health &amp;amp; Wellbeing study

O’Connor, Daryl B.; Wilding, Sarah; Ferguson, Eamonn; Cleare, Seonaid; Wetherall, Karen; McClelland, Heather; Melson, Ambrose J.; O’Carroll, Ronan E.; Platt, Stephen; Scowcroft, Elizabeth; Watson, Barry C.; Tc, Zortea; Ka, Robb; Ro, Connor

doi:10.31234/osf.io/r8cdw

Cited by 39 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The same trend in the levels of self-reported loneliness was reported by Bu et al (76), who described a U-shaped trajectory in the levels of loneliness in the period June-November 2020, corresponding to the limitations to social activities due to the lockdown policies (94). In fact, young people aged between 18 and 29 reported higher levels of loneliness, but with a decrease in loneliness in the first period of the pandemic, from March to May 2020 (76,(95)(96)(97).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Loneliness in Young Adults During the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown: Results From the Multicentric COMET Study

et al. 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental and physical health of the general population at any age, but it is expected to have a protracted and severe consequences for younger populations. The pandemic has had several consequences on mental health including anger and irritability, depressive symptoms and somatic complaints, insomnia, lack of motivation, and loneliness. In particular, loneliness and its related negative feelings are thought to be particularly pronounced during young adulthood because of the many social changes that young people deal with during this period of life. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the type of impact of the pandemic on the mental health of young people and their levels of loneliness experienced during the first phase of the lockdown. Based on the largest Italian study on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of general population, in this paper we aim to: (1) describe the levels of loneliness in a national sample of Italian young adults aged 18–34 years, during the first wave of lockdown in 2020; (2) evaluate the clinical and socio-demographic differences in young adults reporting low vs. high levels of loneliness; (3) assess the role of clinical symptomatology, coping strategies, levels of resilience, and duration of lockdown as possible predictors of loneliness. The final sample consists of 8,584 people, mainly female (72.6%), single, with a mean age of 26.4 (±4.4) years. The mean score at the UCLA was 47.5 (±13.6), with 27% (N = 2,311) of respondents exceeding the cut-off for high levels of loneliness. High levels of loneliness were predicted by the presence of avoidant coping strategies, such as self-distraction (Beta coefficient, B = 0.369, 95% Confidence Interval, CI = 0.328–0.411), venting (B = 0.245, 95% CI = 0.197–0.293), denial (B = 0.110, 95% CI = 0.061–0.159), and emotional disengagement (B = 0.133, 95% CI = 0.080–0.185). Weeks of exposure to the pandemic were significantly associated with worsening of loneliness (p < 0.000). There is currently considerable interest in trying to reduce loneliness, both within the context of COVID-19 and more generally. Our results highlight that young people are at a higher risk of developing loneliness and suggest that more interventions and practical guidelines are needed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Loneliness in Young Adults During the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown: Results From the Multicentric COMET Study

et al. 2021

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“…Previous studies have demonstrated generally elevated levels of psychological distress in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic across the general population (2,(21)(22)(23)(24) and among multiple subgroups, including individuals undergoing quarantine (3,5), those infected with coronavirus (25,26), and front-line healthcare workers (2,24,27), with some mixed findings (28,29).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depression During COVID-19 Quarantine in South Korea: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Kim

Kwon

Lee

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundQuarantine, a public health measure used to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has been linked to an increased risk of developing adverse psychological sequelae. This study sought to investigate whether quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with depression among Koreans.MethodsData were obtained from the Seoul COVID-19 Study of Quarantine (SCS-Q) and the 2019 Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS). Using propensity scores estimated based on sociodemographic and health conditions, 919 individuals undergoing quarantine in the SCS-Q were matched with 919 individuals who did not experience quarantine in the 2019 KCHS. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), where major depression is defined as a PHQ-9 score ≥ 10. Logistic regression models were adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related factors.ResultsDepression prevalence was higher in quarantined individuals than in the control group (7.8 vs. 3.8%, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analyses revealed that quarantining was associated with higher likelihoods of having major depression [odds ratio (OR) = 2.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.49, 3.51] after adjusting for relevant covariates.LimitationsDue to the online nature of the SCS-Q, this study included a limited number of elderly participants, limiting the generalizability of the findings to the general Korean population.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that Koreans undergoing COVID-19 quarantine are at higher risk of depression. While further investigation is warranted, public health measures to control infectious disease outbreaks, such as quarantine, would benefit from incorporating strategies to address unintended adverse psychological effects, such as depression.

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“…However, the literature reporting suicide rates in university students is scarce. O'Connor and colleagues demonstrated that younger adults (18–29 years) reported higher levels of suicidal ideation than older adults during the pandemic in the UK ( 15 ). Also, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey showed similar results, with young adults having higher rates of suicidal ideation than the general population during the pandemic ( 16 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

More Depressive Symptoms, Alcohol and Drug Consumption: Increase in Mental Health Symptoms Among University Students After One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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Background: As the majority of studies examining mental health during the pandemic are cross-sectional, little is known about the changes in mental health during the pandemic, especially in university students. Most studies indicate a worsening of mental health conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the mental health status of German university students during the third wave of the pandemic in 2021 and to compare the results to a sample of a congruent cross-sectional study from 2020.Methods: Two cross-sectional and anonymous online surveys among university students were conducted (first survey: July-August 2020, N = 3,382; second survey: March-April 2021, N = 5,642). Mental health status was assessed with standardized measures (depressive symptoms, alcohol and drug consumption, and eating disorder symptoms), and social and emotional aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed. In addition to descriptive statistics and group comparisons of the two survey samples from 2020 and 2021, respectively, risk and protective factors related to mental health were analyzed.Results: There were significant differences in severities of depressive symptoms and alcohol and drug consumption between the two online surveys from 2020 and 2021. Findings suggest an increase in the severity of depressive symptoms as well as alcohol and drug consumption. Significantly more respondents reported suicidal ideation in the survey from 2021. Lower self-efficacy, less social support and lower resilience as well as higher perceived stress and more loneliness were reported by the participants of the survey from 2021 compared to 2020. Regarding factors predicting mental health symptoms, being female was a positive predictor for hazardous alcohol use and anorexia nervosa in comparison to men. Further, younger age, being diverse, higher perceived stress and loneliness were positive predictors for all mental health outcomes.Conclusion: This study reveals an increase in severities of depressive symptoms, including suicidal ideation, drug and alcohol consumption among students. Being diverse, younger age, higher perceived stress and loneliness were mutual risk factors for higher depressive and eating disorder symptoms as well as alcohol consumption. Universities and health care policy should recognize and address mental health issues of young adults during ongoing times of crisis and invest in easy-to-access interventions.

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Effects of COVID-19-related worry and rumination on mental health and loneliness during the pandemic: Longitudinal analyses of adults in the UK COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellbeing study

Cited by 39 publications

References 24 publications

Loneliness in Young Adults During the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown: Results From the Multicentric COMET Study

Loneliness in Young Adults During the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown: Results From the Multicentric COMET Study

Depression During COVID-19 Quarantine in South Korea: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

More Depressive Symptoms, Alcohol and Drug Consumption: Increase in Mental Health Symptoms Among University Students After One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

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