Perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK population analysis.
<h4>Objectives</h4>This study examined the association between perceived manageability of debt and risk of depression, anxiety, and mental health help-seeking among a nationally representative sample of adults living in the United Kingdom (UK).<h4>Methods</h4>Data was derived...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
|
Series: | PLoS ONE |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274052 |
_version_ | 1811264781506576384 |
---|---|
author | Mark Shevlin Enya Redican Philip Hyland Sarah Butter Orla McBride Todd K Hartman Jamie Murphy Frédérique Vallières Richard P Bentall |
author_facet | Mark Shevlin Enya Redican Philip Hyland Sarah Butter Orla McBride Todd K Hartman Jamie Murphy Frédérique Vallières Richard P Bentall |
author_sort | Mark Shevlin |
collection | DOAJ |
description | <h4>Objectives</h4>This study examined the association between perceived manageability of debt and risk of depression, anxiety, and mental health help-seeking among a nationally representative sample of adults living in the United Kingdom (UK).<h4>Methods</h4>Data was derived from the COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) Study Wave 6 (August/September 2021) which examined the psychological, social, and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK adult population. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between different levels of perceived debt manageability (i.e., "easily manageable", "some problems", "quite serious problems", "very serious problems", "cannot manage at all") and mental health related outcomes.<h4>Results</h4>Almost a quarter of the sample (24%, n = 494) reported debt management problems, and debt manageability associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and mental health help-seeking. After adjusting for demographic variables (e.g. income, receipt of benefits), logistic regression analysis demonstrated a dose-response association between increasing levels of debt manageability problems and mental health outcomes. Specifically, adjusted odds ratios for anxiety ranged from 2.28 ('some problems') to 11.18 ('very serious problems'), for depression ranged from 2.80 ('some problems') to 16.21 ('cannot manage at all'), and for mental health help-seeking ranged from 1.69 ('some problems') to 3.18 ('quite serious problems', 'very serious problems').<h4>Conclusion</h4>This study highlights that debt manageability problems represent a robust predictor of depression, anxiety, and mental-health help seeking. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:10:31Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-b16f96f5bed84bcebafc8a69b29fc8ca |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1932-6203 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:10:31Z |
publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
record_format | Article |
series | PLoS ONE |
spelling | doaj.art-b16f96f5bed84bcebafc8a69b29fc8ca2022-12-22T03:18:15ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01179e027405210.1371/journal.pone.0274052Perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK population analysis.Mark ShevlinEnya RedicanPhilip HylandSarah ButterOrla McBrideTodd K HartmanJamie MurphyFrédérique VallièresRichard P Bentall<h4>Objectives</h4>This study examined the association between perceived manageability of debt and risk of depression, anxiety, and mental health help-seeking among a nationally representative sample of adults living in the United Kingdom (UK).<h4>Methods</h4>Data was derived from the COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) Study Wave 6 (August/September 2021) which examined the psychological, social, and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK adult population. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between different levels of perceived debt manageability (i.e., "easily manageable", "some problems", "quite serious problems", "very serious problems", "cannot manage at all") and mental health related outcomes.<h4>Results</h4>Almost a quarter of the sample (24%, n = 494) reported debt management problems, and debt manageability associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and mental health help-seeking. After adjusting for demographic variables (e.g. income, receipt of benefits), logistic regression analysis demonstrated a dose-response association between increasing levels of debt manageability problems and mental health outcomes. Specifically, adjusted odds ratios for anxiety ranged from 2.28 ('some problems') to 11.18 ('very serious problems'), for depression ranged from 2.80 ('some problems') to 16.21 ('cannot manage at all'), and for mental health help-seeking ranged from 1.69 ('some problems') to 3.18 ('quite serious problems', 'very serious problems').<h4>Conclusion</h4>This study highlights that debt manageability problems represent a robust predictor of depression, anxiety, and mental-health help seeking.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274052 |
spellingShingle | Mark Shevlin Enya Redican Philip Hyland Sarah Butter Orla McBride Todd K Hartman Jamie Murphy Frédérique Vallières Richard P Bentall Perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK population analysis. PLoS ONE |
title | Perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK population analysis. |
title_full | Perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK population analysis. |
title_fullStr | Perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK population analysis. |
title_full_unstemmed | Perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK population analysis. |
title_short | Perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK population analysis. |
title_sort | perceived manageability of debt and mental health during the covid 19 pandemic a uk population analysis |
url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274052 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT markshevlin perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis AT enyaredican perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis AT philiphyland perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis AT sarahbutter perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis AT orlamcbride perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis AT toddkhartman perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis AT jamiemurphy perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis AT frederiquevallieres perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis AT richardpbentall perceivedmanageabilityofdebtandmentalhealthduringthecovid19pandemicaukpopulationanalysis |