TY - JOUR
T1 - Longitudinal analyses of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation highlight greater prevalence in the northern Dutch population during the COVID-19 lockdowns
AU - Lifelines Corona Research initiative
AU - Ori, Anil P.S.
AU - Wieling, Martijn
AU - van Loo, Hanna M.
N1 - Funding Information:
HvL was supported by a NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behaviour Research Foundation and a VENI grant from the Talent Programme of the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research ( NWO-ZonMW 09150161810021 ). The funding organizations had no impact on study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation, or decision to submit the manuscript.
Funding Information:
We acknowledge funding for the LifeLines Corona Research project from the University of Groningen and the University Medical Centre Groningen. The authors wish to acknowledge the efforts of the Lifelines Corona Research Initiative and the following initiatives participants:
Funding Information:
The Lifelines Biobank initiative has been made possible by funding from the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG the Netherlands), the University of Groningen, the Northern Provinces of the Netherlands, FES (Fonds Economische Structuurversterking), SNN (Samenwerkingsverband Noord Nederland) and REP (Ruimtelijk Economisch Programma).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors
PY - 2023/2/15
Y1 - 2023/2/15
N2 - Background: The pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to an increased burden on mental health. Aims: To investigate the development of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and suicidal ideation in the Netherlands during the first fifteen months of the pandemic and three nation-wide lockdowns. Method: Participants of the Lifelines Cohort Study –a Dutch population-based sample-reported current symptoms of MDD and GAD, including suicidal ideation, according to DSM-IV criteria. Between March 2020 and June 2021, 36,106 participants (aged 18–96) filled out a total of 629,811 questionnaires across 23 time points. Trajectories over time were estimated using generalized additive models and analyzed in relation to age, sex, and lifetime history of MDD/GAD. Results: We found non-linear trajectories for MDD and GAD with a higher number of symptoms and prevalence rates during periods of lockdown. The point prevalence of MDD and GAD peaked during the third hard lockdown at 2.88 % (95 % CI: 2.71 %–3.06 %) and 2.92 % (95 % CI: 2.76 %–3.08 %), respectively, in March 2021. Women, younger adults, and participants with a history of MDD/GAD reported significantly more symptoms. For suicidal ideation, we found a significant linear increase over time in younger participants. For example, 20-year-old participants reported 4.14× more suicidal ideation at the end of June 2021 compared to the start of the pandemic (4.64 % (CI: 3.09 %–6.96 %) versus 1.12 % (CI: 0.76 %–1.66 %)). Limitations: Our findings should be interpreted in relation to the societal context of the Netherlands and the public health response of the Dutch government during the pandemic, which may be different in other regions in the world. Conclusions: Our study showed greater prevalence of MDD and GAD during COVID-19 lockdowns and a continuing increase in suicidal thoughts among young adults suggesting that the pandemic and government enacted restrictions impacted mental health in the population. Our findings provide actionable insights on mental health in the population during the pandemic, which can guide policy makers and clinical care during future lockdowns and epi/pandemics.
AB - Background: The pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to an increased burden on mental health. Aims: To investigate the development of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and suicidal ideation in the Netherlands during the first fifteen months of the pandemic and three nation-wide lockdowns. Method: Participants of the Lifelines Cohort Study –a Dutch population-based sample-reported current symptoms of MDD and GAD, including suicidal ideation, according to DSM-IV criteria. Between March 2020 and June 2021, 36,106 participants (aged 18–96) filled out a total of 629,811 questionnaires across 23 time points. Trajectories over time were estimated using generalized additive models and analyzed in relation to age, sex, and lifetime history of MDD/GAD. Results: We found non-linear trajectories for MDD and GAD with a higher number of symptoms and prevalence rates during periods of lockdown. The point prevalence of MDD and GAD peaked during the third hard lockdown at 2.88 % (95 % CI: 2.71 %–3.06 %) and 2.92 % (95 % CI: 2.76 %–3.08 %), respectively, in March 2021. Women, younger adults, and participants with a history of MDD/GAD reported significantly more symptoms. For suicidal ideation, we found a significant linear increase over time in younger participants. For example, 20-year-old participants reported 4.14× more suicidal ideation at the end of June 2021 compared to the start of the pandemic (4.64 % (CI: 3.09 %–6.96 %) versus 1.12 % (CI: 0.76 %–1.66 %)). Limitations: Our findings should be interpreted in relation to the societal context of the Netherlands and the public health response of the Dutch government during the pandemic, which may be different in other regions in the world. Conclusions: Our study showed greater prevalence of MDD and GAD during COVID-19 lockdowns and a continuing increase in suicidal thoughts among young adults suggesting that the pandemic and government enacted restrictions impacted mental health in the population. Our findings provide actionable insights on mental health in the population during the pandemic, which can guide policy makers and clinical care during future lockdowns and epi/pandemics.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Generalized additive models
KW - Generalized anxiety disorder
KW - Lifelines biobank
KW - Major depressive disorder
KW - Suicidal ideation
U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.040
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.040
M3 - Article
C2 - 36427649
AN - SCOPUS:85142846680
SN - 0165-0327
VL - 323
SP - 62
EP - 70
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
ER -