Anxiety and depression during COVID-19 lockdown

An observational study looked at the weekly effects of COVID-19 lockdown measures on anxiety and depression rates.

Around the world, many have looked at the potential effects of COVID-19 on mental health.

As mandatory self-isolation requirements and drastic life changes related to lockdown orders force people to grapple with unprecedented problems, scientists are increasingly alarmed about the impact lockdown measures could have on anxiety and depression rates during the COVID-19 pandemic .

While numerous studies suggest a link between mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic, no studies have been conducted to examine the changes week after week.

To investigate the possible link between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health, scientists in England designed an observational study using data on participants' symptoms of anxiety and depression. As reported in The Lancet Psychiatry, the study included 36,520 participants, each measured at least three times between March 1 and August 9, 2020.

The results showed that in the 20 weeks since the lockdown measures were introduced in England, anxiety and depression rates have steadily declined compared to the measures taken in the first week.

According to the researchers, the fastest decline was in the strictest lockdown measures. According to the researchers, these results can be attributed to the increased adaptation of participants to the lockdown measures.

The researchers also point to various risk factors associated with anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 lockdown, including being women or younger, having a lower level of education, lower income, pre-existing mental illness, and being alone or with children Life.

For many of these risk factor categories, depression and anxiety continued to decrease and were in line with the rest of the population. Despite this, differences were still noticeable 20 weeks after the ban began.

While the included sample was not chosen at random, which implies that the results cannot be safely transferred to the population, the study provides important data on the longitudinal changes in symptoms within the sample population.

While the study did not cover all potential experiences, it is possible that there were other symptoms of mental health deterioration that were not measured. Still, such data is important in understanding how the pandemic can affect people's mental health.

Importantly, the study identified several groups at particular risk for anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 lockdown. They can benefit from increased support before a lockdown is initiated.

Written by Maor Bernshtein

D. Fancourt, A. Steptoe & F. Bu (2020). Course of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms During Forced Isolation Due to COVID-19 in England: A Longitudinal Observational Study. The Psychiatry Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30482-x

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