Abstract
Objectives. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental distress in US adults. Methods. Participants were 5065 adults from the Understanding America Study, a probability-based Internet panel representative of the US adult population. The main exposure was survey completion date (March 10-16, 2020). The outcome was mental distress measured via the 4-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Results. Among states with 50 or more COVID-19 cases as of March 10, each additional day was significantly associated with an 11% increase in the odds of moving up a category of distress (odds ratio = 1.11; 95% confidence interval = 1.01, 1.21; P =.02). Perceptions about the likelihood of getting infected, death from the virus, and steps taken to avoid infecting others were associated with increased mental distress in the model that included all states. Individuals with higher consumption of alcohol or cannabis or with history of depressive symptoms were at significantly higher risk for mental distress. Conclusions. These data suggest that as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, mental distress may continue to increase and should be regularly monitored. Specific populations are at high risk for mental distress, particularly those with preexisting depressive symptoms.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1628-1634 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | American journal of public health |
| Volume | 110 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 2020 |
Funding
The project described in this article relied on data from survey(s) administered by the Understanding America Study, which is maintained by the Center for Economic and Social Research at the University of Southern California. For any questions or more information about the Understanding America Study, contact Tania Gutsche, Project and Panel Manager, Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, at [email protected]. The Understanding America Study is funded from several sources, including the Social Security Administration and the National Institute on Aging under grant 5U01AG054580. Work on the current article was in part supported by (1) the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U54 HD079123), (2) the National Science Foundation (2028683) RAPID: Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 on Labor Market, Social, and Mental Health Outcomes, and (3) the Capital Group COVID-19 Response Fund Grant. C. B. Veldhuis's participation in this research was made possible through a National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Ruth Kirschstein Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (F32AA025816). K. E. Riehm was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Mental Health Services and Systems Training Program (5T32MH109436-03) and by a Doctoral Foreign Study Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We are grateful to the Understanding America Study for making these data available. Note. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the University of Southern California or the Understanding America Study. The project described in this article relied on data from survey(s) administered by the Understanding America Study, which is maintained by the Center for Economic and Social Research at the University of Southern California. For any questions or more information about the Understanding America Study, contact Tania Gutsche, Project and Panel Manager, Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, at [email protected]. The Understanding America Study is funded from several sources, including the Social Security Administration and the National Institute on Aging under grant 5U01AG054580. Work on the current article was in part supported by (1) the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U54 HD079123), (2) the National Science Foundation (2028683) RAPID: Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 on Labor Market, Social, and Mental Health Outcomes, and (3) the Capital Group COVID-19 Response Fund Grant. C. B. Veldhuis’s participation in this research was made possible through a National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Ruth Kirschstein Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (F32AA025816). K. E. Riehm was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Mental Health Services and Systems Training Program (5T32MH109436-03) and by a Doctoral Foreign Study Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We are grateful to the Understanding America Study for making these data available. Note. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the University of Southern California or the Understanding America Study.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
