The long-term effects of consecutive COVID-19 waves on mental health

Authors

• Jan Sebastian Novotný, Institute for Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic.
• Juan Pablo Gonzalez-Rivas, International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic; and Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, USA.
• Šárka Kunzová, International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic.
• Mária Skladaná, International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic; and Second Department of Internal Medicine, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
• Anna Pospíšilová, International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic.
• Anna Polcrová, International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic; and Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
• Maria Vassilaki, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
• Jose Ramon Medina-Inojosa, Division of Preventive Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; and Marriot Heart Disease Research Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
• Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, Division of Preventive Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
• Yonas Endale Geda, Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA; and Franke Global Neuroscience Education Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.Follow
• Gorazd Bernard Stokin, Institute for Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic; and Department of Neurology, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK.

Document Type

Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have documented the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, the long-term effects remain unclear. AIMS: To examine longitudinal changes in mental health before and during the consecutive COVID-19 waves in a well-established probability sample. METHOD: An online survey was completed by the participants of the COVID-19 add-on study at four time points: pre-COVID-19 period (2014-2015, = 1823), first COVID-19 wave (April to May 2020, = 788), second COVID-19 wave (August to October 2020, = 532) and third COVID-19 wave (March to April 2021, = 383). Data were collected via a set of validated instruments, and analysed with latent growth models. RESULTS: During the pandemic, we observed a significant increase in stress levels (standardised = 0.473, < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (standardised = 1.284, < 0.001). The rate of increase in depressive symptoms (std. covariance = 0.784, = 0.014), but not in stress levels (std. covariance = 0.057, = 0.743), was associated with the pre-pandemic mental health status of the participants. Further analysis showed that secondary stressors played a predominant role in the increase in mental health difficulties. The main secondary stressors were loneliness, negative emotionality associated with the perception of COVID-19 disease, lack of resilience, female gender and younger age. CONCLUSIONS: The surge in stress levels and depressive symptoms persisted across all three consecutive COVID-19 waves. This persistence is attributable to the effects of secondary stressors, and particularly to the status of mental health before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings reveal mechanisms underlying the surge in mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 waves, with direct implications for strategies promoting mental health during pandemics.

Publication Date

12-19-2023

Publication Title

BJPsych open

ISSN

2056-4724

Volume

10

Issue

1

First Page

e15

PubMed ID

38111960

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1192/bjo.2023.620

Recommended Citation

Novotný, Jan Sebastian; Gonzalez-Rivas, Juan Pablo; Kunzová, Šárka; Skladaná, Mária; Pospíšilová, Anna; Polcrová, Anna; Vassilaki, Maria; Medina-Inojosa, Jose Ramon; Lopez-Jimenez, Francisco; Geda, Yonas Endale; and Stokin, Gorazd Bernard, "The long-term effects of consecutive COVID-19 waves on mental health" (2023). Neurology. 1703.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurology/1703