Emotional adaptation during a crisis: decline in anxiety and depression after the initial weeks of COVID-19 in the United States

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dc.contributor.authorShuster, Anastasiaen
dc.contributor.authorO'Brien, Madelineen
dc.contributor.authorLuo, Yien
dc.contributor.authorBerner, Laura A.en
dc.contributor.authorPerl, Oferen
dc.contributor.authorHeflin, Matthewen
dc.contributor.authorKulkarni, Kaustubhen
dc.contributor.authorChung, Dongilen
dc.contributor.authorNa, Soojungen
dc.contributor.authorFiore, Vincenzo G.en
dc.contributor.authorGu, Xiaosien
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-04T17:44:37Zen
dc.date.available2022-04-04T17:44:37Zen
dc.date.issued2021-08-20en
dc.description.abstractCrises such as the COVID-19 pandemic are known to exacerbate depression and anxiety, though their temporal trajectories remain under-investigated. The present study aims to investigate fluctuations in depression and anxiety using the COVID-19 pandemic as a model crisis. A total of 1512 adults living in the United States enrolled in this online study beginning April 2, 2020 and were assessed weekly for 10 weeks (until June 4, 2020). We measured depression and anxiety using the Zung Self-Rating Depression scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (state subscale), respectively, along with demographic and COVID-related surveys. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine factors contributing to longitudinal changes in depression and anxiety. We found that depression and anxiety levels were high in early April, but declined over time. Being female, younger age, lower-income, and previous psychiatric diagnosis correlated with higher overall levels of anxiety and depression; being married additionally correlated with lower overall levels of depression, but not anxiety. Importantly, worsening of COVID-related economic impact and increase in projected pandemic duration exacerbated both depression and anxiety over time. Finally, increasing levels of informedness correlated with decreasing levels of depression, while increased COVID-19 severity (i.e., 7-day change in cases) and social media use were positively associated with anxiety over time. These findings not only provide evidence for overall emotional adaptation during the initial weeks of the pandemic, but also provide insight into overlapping, yet distinct, factors contributing to depression and anxiety throughout the first wave of the pandemic.en
dc.description.notesThe authors would like to thank the individuals that participated in this research study. The study was funded by internal institutional funding from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. X.G. is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health [grant number: R21MH120789, R01MH124115, R01MH122611, and R01 MH123069]. L.A.B. is supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health [K23MH118418, R21MH124352] and by a NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. V.G.F. is supported by the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC VISN 2) at the James J. Peter Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY.en
dc.description.sponsorshipIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; National Institute of Mental HealthUnited States Department of Health & Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) - USANIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) [K23MH118418, R21MH124352, R21MH120789, R01MH124115, R01MH122611, R01 MH123069]; NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research FoundationNARSAD; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC VISN 2) at the James J. Peter Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NYen
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01552-yen
dc.identifier.issn2158-3188en
dc.identifier.issue1en
dc.identifier.other435en
dc.identifier.pmid34417441en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/109532en
dc.identifier.volume11en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectCOVID-19 and mental healthen
dc.titleEmotional adaptation during a crisis: decline in anxiety and depression after the initial weeks of COVID-19 in the United Statesen
dc.title.serialTranslational Psychiatryen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

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