The impact of COVID-19 on subthreshold depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study

Abstract

Aims The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents an unprecedented threat to mental health. Herein, we assessed the impact of COVID-19 on subthreshold depressive symptoms and identified potential mitigating factors. Methods Participants were from Depression Cohort in China (ChiCTR registry number 1900022145). Adults (n = 1722) with subthreshold depressive symptoms were enrolled between March and October 2019 in a 6-month, community-based interventional study that aimed to prevent clinical depression using psychoeducation. A total of 1506 participants completed the study in Shenzhen, China: 726 participants, who completed the study between March 2019 and January 2020 (i.e. before COVID-19), comprised the ‘wave 1’ group; 780 participants, who were enrolled before COVID-19 and completed the 6-month endpoint assessment during COVID-19, comprised ‘wave 2’. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia were assessed at baseline and endpoint (i.e. 6-month follow-up) using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), respectively. Measures of resilience and regular exercise were assessed at baseline. We compared the mental health outcomes between wave 1 and wave 2 groups. We additionally investigated how mental health outcomes changed across disparate stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, i.e. peak (7–13 February), post-peak (14–27 February), remission plateau (28 February−present). Results COVID-19 increased the risk for three mental outcomes: (1) depression (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–1.62); (2) anxiety (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.16–1.88) and (3) insomnia (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.07–1.77). The highest proportion of probable depression and anxiety was observed post-peak, with 52.9% and 41.4%, respectively. Greater baseline resilience scores had a protective effect on the three main outcomes (depression: OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.19–0.37; anxiety: OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.14–0.33 and insomnia: OR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.11–0.28). Furthermore, regular physical activity mitigated the risk for depression (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.79–0.99). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic exerted a highly significant and negative impact on symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia. Mental health outcomes fluctuated as a function of the duration of the pandemic and were alleviated to some extent with the observed decline in community-based transmission. Augmenting resiliency and regular exercise provide an opportunity to mitigate the risk for mental health symptoms during this severe public health crisis.

Association Between Mood Disorders and Risk of COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, and Death

“…Future research should address whether COVID-19 vaccinations exhibit differential efficacy in persons with mood disorders and whether COVID-19 infection affects the longitudinal trajectory of the underlying mental disorder. 80,81…”

COVID-19 depression and its risk factors in Asia Pacific – A systematic review and meta-analysis

“… Setiawati et al, 2021 , Soh et al, 2020 , Sujadi et al, 2021 , Sun et al, 2021 , Sunjaya et al, 2021 , Tee et al, 2020 , Tee et al, 2020 , Vigo et al, 2021 , Wang et al, 2021 , Chew et al, 2020 , WHO 2020 , Wong et al, 2020 , Woon et al, 2020 , Chew et al, 2020 , Yadav et al, 2021 , Ye et al, 2020 , Chow et al, 2021 , Dai et al, 2020 , Dong and Zheng, 2020 , Ettman et al, 2020 , Fauzi et al, 2021 , Cénat et al, 2020 , Hsieh et al, 2021 , Huang and Zhao, 2021 , Kannampallil et al, 2020 , Khan et al, 2020 , Khan et al, 2021 , Lai et al, 2020 , Lee et al, 2020 , Li et al, 2021 , Li et al, 2021 , Liao et al, 2021 , Lim et al, 2020 , Liu et al, 2021 , Liu et al, 2021 , Chen et al, 2021 , Liu et al, 2021 , Mohd Noor et al, 2021 , NICE 2009 , Chen et al, 2021 , Pak et al, 2020 , Person et al, 2004 , Chen et al, 2021 , Pierce et al, 2020 , Pramukti et al, 2020 , Rahman, 2021 , Roslan et al, 2021 …”

Alterações psicológicas durante a pandemia por COVID-19 e sua relação com bruxismo e DTM

“…Dos artigos incluídos nesta revisão, 7 abordavam aspectos psicossociais e sua relação com a pandemia por COVID-19 (Di Blasi et al, 2021;De Boni et al, 2020;Gutiérrez-Hernández et al, 2021;Limcaoco et al, 2020;Liao et al, 2021;Liu et al, 2021;Wang et al, 2021), 5 apresentavam os aspectos psicossociais e sua relação com DTM (Alahmary, 2019;Guimarães;Almeida, 2018;Canales et al, 2019;Yap;Natu, 2020;Zavanelli, 2017) e 7 dissertavam sobre a associação entre as alterações psicológicas causadas pela pandemia por COVID-19 e sua relação com bruxismo e DTM (Asquini et al, 2021;Emodi-Perlman et al, 2020;Gaş;Özsoy;Aydin, 2021;Medeiros et al, 2020;Restrepo et al, 2021;Saccomanno et al, 2020;Silva et al 2021).…”

“…A perspectiva e a necessidade do isolamento social acabaram por provocar um sentimento de impotência, solidão e de forte angústia individual (Di Blasi et al, 2021;Limcaoco et al, 2020;Pereira et al, 2020). Liao et al (2021) observaram que as condições de saúde mental e comportamentos oscilaram de acordo com a evolução da pandemia. As maiores taxas de depressão e ansiedade foram encontradas após o pico de casos e regrediram com a diminuição dos casos da doença.…”