Prevalence and predictors of general psychiatric disorders and loneliness during COVID-19 in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Despite ample research on the prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders during COVID-19, we know little about the broader psychological impact of the pandemic on a wider population. The study investigates the prevalence and predictors of general psychiatric disorders measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and frequency of loneliness during COVID-19 in the United Kingdom, a country heavily hit by the pandemic. We analyzed 15,530 respondents of the first large-scale, nationally representative survey of COVID-19 in a developed country, the first wave of Understanding Society COVID-19 Study. Results show that 29.2% of the respondents score 4 or more, the caseness threshold, on the general psychiatric disorder measure, and 35.86% of the respondents sometimes or often feel lonely. Regression analyses show that those who have or had COVID-19-related symptoms are more likely to develop general psychiatric disorders and are lonelier. Women and young people have higher risks of general psychiatric disorders and loneliness, while having a job and living with a partner are protective factors. This study showcases the psychological impact, including general psychiatric disorders and loneliness, of broader members of the society during COVID-19 and the underlying social inequalities.

Loneliness in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional results from the COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study

“…Studies of loneliness during COVID-19 report higher prevalence among females [21,39,40]. Outside of the current crisis, findings on gender differences in loneliness are mixed, and findings of this study conform with those showing no association [7,8,48].…”

“…(43%) and the UK (14%-36%) [36,39,40]. There is emerging evidence from the US suggesting that levels of loneliness are high but stable during the COVID-19 pandemic [71].…”

The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic: A probability-based, nationally representative study of mental health in the United States

“…Secondary stressors (e.g., job and wage loss) predicted higher acute stress (β=0. 19) and depressive symptoms (β=0.12), and work-related exposures predicted lower depressive symptoms (β=-0.07).…”

“…The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic: A probability-based, nationally representative study of mental health in the U.S. E. Alison Holman 1,* , Rebecca R. Thompson 2 , Dana Rose Garfin 1 and Roxane Cohen Silver 2,3,* (6,(19)(20)(21) one of which includes only young adults. (6) Rather, the majority of population-based studies have used "snowball" sampling or drawn samples from opt-in, non-representative online panels and then weighted the data to the population -a process that exacerbates the selection biases inherent in opt-in panels and undermines the data's utility for public policy purposes.…”

The Psychological and Social Impact of Covid-19: New Perspectives of Well-Being

“…Studies of pandemics faced over time, such as SARS, Ebola, H1N1, Equine Flu, and the current COVID-19, show that the psychological effects of contagion and quarantine is not limited on the fear of contracting the virus ( Barbisch et al, 2015 ). There are some elements related to the pandemic that affect more the population, such as separation from loved ones, loss of freedom, uncertainty about the advancement of the disease, and the feeling of helplessness ( Li and Wang, 2020 ; Cao et al, 2020 ). These aspects might lead to dramatic consequences ( Weir, 2020 ), such as the rise of suicides ( Kawohl and Nordt, 2020 ).…”