The Prevalence and Correlates of Probable Major Depressive Disorder and Probable Generalized Anxiety Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Results of a Nationally Representative Survey in Germany

Hajek, André; König, Hans‐Helmut

doi:10.3390/ijerph182312302

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(27 reference statements)

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“…However, these younger individuals particularly suffer from the pandemic. This supports very recent research showing particularly high prevalence rates of both depression and anxiety among younger individuals in Germany during the course of the pandemic [ 30 , 31 ]. Due to financial hardship in young individuals, those individuals may restrict social activities and may thus feel excluded from the society [ 30 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…This supports very recent research showing particularly high prevalence rates of both depression and anxiety among younger individuals in Germany during the course of the pandemic [ 30 , 31 ]. Due to financial hardship in young individuals, those individuals may restrict social activities and may thus feel excluded from the society [ 30 ]. Given the alarming prevalence rates identified in our study and the current lack of comparable studies, future in depth studies (e.g., based on qualitative data) are needed to better understand why individuals report such high loneliness and social isolation levels.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

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Prevalence and correlates of loneliness, perceived and objective social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence from a representative survey in Germany

Hajek

König

2022

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

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Purpose Our aim was to identify the prevalence and correlates of loneliness, perceived and objective social isolation in the German population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data were taken from a representative survey with n = 3075 individuals (18–70 years; August/September 2021). Valid measures were used to quantify the outcomes (loneliness: De Jong Gierveld scale; perceived social isolation: Bude/Lantermann tool; objective social isolation: Lubben Social Network Scale). Multiple logistic regressions were used to identify the correlates of these three outcomes. Results The prevalence of loneliness was 83.4%, the prevalence of perceived social isolation was 59.1% and the prevalence of objective social isolation was 28.9%. The prevalence rate significantly differed between the subgroups (e.g., the prevalence of perceived social isolation was 73.9% among individuals aged 18–29 years, whereas it was 48.8% among individuals aged 60–70 years). In regression analysis, several correlates of these outcomes were identified (e.g., marital status, age group (with changing signs), migration background, sports activities, or self-rated health). Conclusion Our study particularly identified very to extraordinarily high prevalence rates for social isolation and loneliness, respectively. Knowledge about the correlates (e.g., age group) may help to address these individuals during the ongoing pandemic.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Prevalence and correlates of loneliness, perceived and objective social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence from a representative survey in Germany

Hajek

König

2022

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

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“…However, representative national studies show higher scores for depression and anxiety due to the pandemic in people with migration background, presumably explained by e.g. worries about relatives living abroad, stronger impairment by travelling restrictions [ 50 , 55 ]. The stronger mental impairment may predispose people with migration background to changes in eating habits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in patterns of eating habits and food intake during the first German COVID-19 lockdown: results of a cross-sectional online survey

et al. 2022

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Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic and public measures have a direct impact on the nutrition situation; studies show changes in food consumption, eating behavior or body weight but complex pattern analyses of changes rarely exist. Methods During the first German lockdown, a web-based survey was conducted among adults. It included 33 questions about changes in food intake, eating habits and physical activity, as well as anthropometrics and sociodemographic factors. Patterns of change were calculated based on changes in food intake and eating habits using two-step cluster analysis. To identify influencing factors for assignment to the patterns of change, binary logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Data from 2103 participants (81% female, 40 ± 14 years) were considered for analysis. Increased stockpiling, cooking, and variation in preparation was reported by 50–70%. The constant pattern (C-P, 36%) reported little change besides the above. The health-oriented pattern (HO-P; 37%) reported eating more healthy foods, avoiding unhealthy foods, and eating less and less frequently. The emotional-driven pattern (ED-P; 28%) exhibits higher influence of emotions on eating behavior, less avoidance of unhealthy foods, and increased consumption of sweets, pastries, and alcohol. The odds of changing eating behavior either to HO-P or ED-P were higher in women, people with migration background, younger participants, and increased with BMI categories. Conclusion Both, the ED-P and HO-P, exhibit distinctive reactions in eating habits and food intake when dealing with a distressing experience. In subgroups, these may lead to disturbances in eating behavior and increase the risk for eating disorders and obesity.

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“…Hyland et al [ 20 ] reported a prevalence of 20.00% for anxiety and 22.80% for depression in the general population of the Republic of Ireland in the first week of nationwide quarantine measures in 2020. A survey of the general adult population in Germany in comparable period to our study (summer 2021) presented a prevalence of anxiety in 13.40% and prevalence of depression in 20.00% of the population[ 21 ]. Some country results report higher observed rates of anxiety and depression.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Mental health of the Slovak population during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey

Kŕaĺová¹,

Bražinová²,

Sivcova³

et al. 2022

WJCC

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BACKGROUND Population’s mental health surveillance is essential for knowing the distribution of mental well-being and mental disorders in the society. This allows for the establishment, evaluation, and revision of preventive measures and curative services. The results of such monitoring should serve as a database for evidence-based mental health policy. Mental disorders are among the top ten causes of burden globally and crisis situations such as the pandemic increase the risk of mental health problems, as they cause constant fear of contagion and the implementation of restrictive measures. The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the general population of the Slovak Republic has not yet been studied. The hypothesis was that more than one fifth of the population (women to a greater extent) will have symptoms of anxiety and depression. AIM To assess the mental health of the general Slovak population aged 15 years and older in the summer of 2021 by determining the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms. METHODS An anonymous cross-sectional survey was implemented in a sample of 1501 respondents in the summer of 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The inclusion criteria were age of 15 years and older and ability to complete the survey questionnaire online or in a face-to-face interview. The survey assessed anxiety symptoms by the seven-item general anxiety disorder and depressive symptoms by the nine-item patient health questionnaire instruments. Recognized cut-off scores of 10 or greater were used for both. RESULTS Anxiety symptoms were present in 19.32% and depression in 24.65% of the sample. Symptoms of both disorders were more common in females: 15.00% of males and 24.00% of females experienced anxiety symptoms, and 19.00% of males and 30.00% of females experienced symptoms of depression. Symptoms of both disorders were the most common in the youngest age group (15-25 years old): One fifth of males (20.29%) and one third of females (35.32%) had symptoms of anxiety, and 26.09% males and 43.79% females had symptoms of depression. Mean score for anxiety was 5.44 [standard deviations (SD) = 4.96] for the overall sample, 6.15 (SD = 5.14) for females, and 4.67 (SD = 4.63) for males. The youngest females of the 15-25 years age group had the highest score (7.55, SD = 5.27) among all age groups, for both sexes. Mean score for depression was 6.74 for the overall sample (SD = 5.75), 7.43 for females (SD = 5.87), and 5.99 (SD = 5.52) for males. The highest depression score was observed in the youngest females of the 15-25 years age group (9.34, SD = 6.07). We found a significant association between anxiety or depressive symptoms and younger age [odds ratio (OR): 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-2.45 and OR: 1.65, 95%CI: 1.17-2.34, respectively], being female (OR: 1.86, 95%CI: 1.42-2.42 and OR: 1.76, 95%CI: 0.20-0.29, respectively), and having primary education (OR: 1.66, 95%CI: 1.08-...

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The Prevalence and Correlates of Probable Major Depressive Disorder and Probable Generalized Anxiety Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Results of a Nationally Representative Survey in Germany

Cited by 14 publications

References 28 publications

Prevalence and correlates of loneliness, perceived and objective social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence from a representative survey in Germany

Prevalence and correlates of loneliness, perceived and objective social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence from a representative survey in Germany

Changes in patterns of eating habits and food intake during the first German COVID-19 lockdown: results of a cross-sectional online survey

Mental health of the Slovak population during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey

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