Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis, necessitating drastic changes to living conditions, social life, personal freedom and economic activity. No study has yet examined the presence of psychiatric symptoms in the UK population under similar conditions. Aims We...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2020-11-01
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| Series: | BJPsych Open |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205647242000109X/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811157040764026880 |
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| author | Mark Shevlin Orla McBride Jamie Murphy Jilly Gibson Miller Todd K. Hartman Liat Levita Liam Mason Anton P. Martinez Ryan McKay Thomas V. A. Stocks Kate M. Bennett Philip Hyland Thanos Karatzias Richard P. Bentall |
| author_facet | Mark Shevlin Orla McBride Jamie Murphy Jilly Gibson Miller Todd K. Hartman Liat Levita Liam Mason Anton P. Martinez Ryan McKay Thomas V. A. Stocks Kate M. Bennett Philip Hyland Thanos Karatzias Richard P. Bentall |
| author_sort | Mark Shevlin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis, necessitating drastic changes to living conditions, social life, personal freedom and economic activity. No study has yet examined the presence of psychiatric symptoms in the UK population under similar conditions.
Aims
We investigated the prevalence of COVID-19-related anxiety, generalised anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms in the UK population during an early phase of the pandemic, and estimated associations with variables likely to influence these symptoms.
Method
Between 23 and 28 March 2020, a quota sample of 2025 UK adults aged 18 years and older, stratified by age, gender and household income, was recruited by online survey company Qualtrics. Participants completed standardised measures of depression, generalised anxiety and trauma symptoms relating to the pandemic. Bivariate and multivariate associations were calculated for demographic and health-related variables.
Results
Higher levels of anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms were reported compared with previous population studies, but not dramatically so. Anxiety or depression and trauma symptoms were predicted by young age, presence of children in the home, and high estimates of personal risk. Anxiety and depression were also predicted by low income, loss of income and pre-existing health conditions in self and others. Specific anxiety about COVID-19 was greater in older participants.
Conclusions
This study showed a modest increase in the prevalence of mental health problems in the early stages of the pandemic, and these problems were predicted by several specific COVID-related variables. Further similar surveys, particularly of those with children at home, are required as the pandemic progresses.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:59:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0d8807614dc41e4acbc17218fc34ed5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-4724 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:59:33Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0d8807614dc41e4acbc17218fc34ed52023-03-09T12:29:03ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242020-11-01610.1192/bjo.2020.109Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemicMark Shevlin0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6262-5223Orla McBride1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3399-9466Jamie Murphy2Jilly Gibson Miller3Todd K. Hartman4Liat Levita5Liam Mason6Anton P. Martinez7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7318-1020Ryan McKay8Thomas V. A. Stocks9Kate M. Bennett10Philip Hyland11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9574-7128Thanos Karatzias12Richard P. Bentall13Ulster University, Northern IrelandUlster University, Northern IrelandUlster University, Northern IrelandUniversity of Sheffield, EnglandUniversity of Sheffield, EnglandUniversity of Sheffield, EnglandUniversity College London, EnglandUniversity of Sheffield, EnglandRoyal Holloway, University of London, EnglandUniversity of Sheffield, EnglandLiverpool University, EnglandMaynooth University, IrelandEdinburgh Napier University, ScotlandUniversity of Sheffield and Liverpool University, EnglandBackground The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis, necessitating drastic changes to living conditions, social life, personal freedom and economic activity. No study has yet examined the presence of psychiatric symptoms in the UK population under similar conditions. Aims We investigated the prevalence of COVID-19-related anxiety, generalised anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms in the UK population during an early phase of the pandemic, and estimated associations with variables likely to influence these symptoms. Method Between 23 and 28 March 2020, a quota sample of 2025 UK adults aged 18 years and older, stratified by age, gender and household income, was recruited by online survey company Qualtrics. Participants completed standardised measures of depression, generalised anxiety and trauma symptoms relating to the pandemic. Bivariate and multivariate associations were calculated for demographic and health-related variables. Results Higher levels of anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms were reported compared with previous population studies, but not dramatically so. Anxiety or depression and trauma symptoms were predicted by young age, presence of children in the home, and high estimates of personal risk. Anxiety and depression were also predicted by low income, loss of income and pre-existing health conditions in self and others. Specific anxiety about COVID-19 was greater in older participants. Conclusions This study showed a modest increase in the prevalence of mental health problems in the early stages of the pandemic, and these problems were predicted by several specific COVID-related variables. Further similar surveys, particularly of those with children at home, are required as the pandemic progresses. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205647242000109X/type/journal_articleCOVID-19 pandemicanxietydepressiontraumatic stressUK general population survey |
| spellingShingle | Mark Shevlin Orla McBride Jamie Murphy Jilly Gibson Miller Todd K. Hartman Liat Levita Liam Mason Anton P. Martinez Ryan McKay Thomas V. A. Stocks Kate M. Bennett Philip Hyland Thanos Karatzias Richard P. Bentall Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic BJPsych Open COVID-19 pandemic anxiety depression traumatic stress UK general population survey |
| title | Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | anxiety depression traumatic stress and covid 19 related anxiety in the uk general population during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic anxiety depression traumatic stress UK general population survey |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205647242000109X/type/journal_article |
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