More than one in four U.S. adults surveyed with no prior mental health condition experienced psychological distress in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic
The majority of individuals in the U.S. have no history of a mental health condition but are at risk for psychological distress due to the uncertainty and dramatic changes that have manifested as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent study, published inPreventative Medicine, Luther Kalb, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Calliope Holingue, MPH, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, both at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, assessed the frequency of and risk factors for psychological distress among adults in the U.S. without prior mental health conditions.
In this national sample, more than one in four experienced psychological distress in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen percent experienced two psychological distress symptoms for at least three days in the past week, and 13 percent experienced three or more of these symptoms. Symptoms included anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep difficulties and hyperarousal.
“These findings raise concerns about a generalized burden of psychological distress, and potential risks for emergent psychological disorders, in a population with no reported history of a mental health condition,” said Kalb.
“Given the scope and expected duration of this pandemic, there are numerous opportunities to address public mental health through campaigns that de-stigmatize mental health, primary care screenings, expansion of and continued funding for telehealth, and promoting self-care through nutrition, exercise, and contact with friends and families, while observing recommended measures of physical distancing. It is essential that prevention efforts, interventions, and policies be put in place to mitigate the potential fallout,” said Holingue.
Results from the survey also showed several independent risk factors significantly associated with higher psychological distress scores among individuals with no reported prior history of a mental condition, including being female, never having been married, being divorced or separated, searching online for information about the virus, using social media to post about COVID-19, reporting that the coronavirus caused major changes to personal life, or that it was a minor or major threat to their own personal health. In addition, having perceptions that the coronavirus is a minor or major threat to personal finances and the U.S. economy, as well as having someone in the household with a pay cut or reduced hours was a risk factor for psychological distress.
Data contained in the study is derived from the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a probability-based online survey panel representative of the U.S. adult population.The analytic sample consisted of 9,687 individuals with no prior history of a mental health condition who completed the survey between March 19-24, 2020. Kalb and Holingue led this project through their involvement with a Hopkins-based working group focused on assessing mental health during the pandemic. More information about this group can be found here.
This work was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (U54 HD079123), as well as the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
About Kennedy Krieger Institute:
Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally known, non-profit organization located in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C. region, transforms the lives of more than 25,000 individuals a year through inpatient and outpatient medical, behavioral health and wellness therapies, home and community services, school-based programs, training and education for professionals and advocacy. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children, adolescents and adults with diseases, disorders or injuries that impact the nervous system, ranging from mild to severe. The Institute is home to a team of investigators who contribute to the understanding of how disorders develop, while at the same time pioneer new interventions and methods of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Visit KennedyKrieger.org for more information about Kennedy Krieger.
