Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Porter, Catherine
• Favara, Marta
• Hittmeyer, Annina
• Scott, Douglas
• Sánchez Jiménez, Alan
• Ellanki, Revathi
• Woldehanna, Tassew
• Duc, Le Thuc
• Craske, Michelle G
• Stein, Alan

Titel

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and depression symptoms of young people in the global south: evidence from a four-country cohort study

Ist Teil von

• BMJ open, 2021-04, Vol.11 (4), p.e049653-e049653

Ort / Verlag

England: BMJ Publishing Group LTD

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Quelle

EZB-FREE-00999 freely available EZB journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• ObjectiveTo provide evidence on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people who grew up in poverty in low/middle-income countries (LMICs).DesignA phone survey administered between August and October 2020 to participants of a population-based longitudinal cohort study established in 2002 comprising two cohorts born in 1994–1995 and 2001–2002 in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), Peru and Vietnam. We use logistic regressions to examine associations between mental health and pandemic-related stressors, structural factors (gender, age), and lifelong protective/risk factors (parent and peer relationship, wealth, long-term health problems, past emotional problems, subjective well-being) measured at younger ages.SettingA geographically diverse, poverty-focused sample, also reaching those without mobile phones or internet access.Participants10 496 individuals were approached; 9730 participated. Overall, 8988 individuals were included in this study; 4610 (51%) men and 4378 (49%) women. Non-inclusion was due to non-location or missing data.Main outcome measuresSymptoms consistent with at least mild anxiety or depression were measured by Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (≥5) or Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (≥5).ResultsRates of symptoms of at least mild anxiety (depression) were highest in Peru at 41% (32%) (95% CI 38.63% to 43.12%; (29.49–33.74)), and lowest in Vietnam at 9% (9%) (95% CI 8.16% to 10.58%; (8.33–10.77)), mirroring COVID-19 mortality rates. Women were most affected in all countries except Ethiopia. Pandemic-related stressors such as health risks/expenses, economic adversity, food insecurity, and educational or employment disruption were risk factors for anxiety and depression, though showed varying levels of importance across countries. Prior parent/peer relationships were protective factors, while long-term health or emotional problems were risk factors.ConclusionPandemic-related health, economic and social stress present significant risks to the mental health of young people in LMICs where mental health support is limited, but urgently needed to prevent long-term consequences.