Increased Psychological Distress, Loneliness, and Unemployment in the Spread of COVID-19 over 6 Months in Germany

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge to global mental health. Loneliness and isolation may put people at higher risk for increased psychological distress. However, there is a lack of research investigating the development of COVID-19-related distress over time. Materials and Methods: We undertook an online survey among general population (N = 1903) in Germany throughout 6 months from the peak transmission period in April to the off-peak period by September 2020. Results: We found that the average prevalence of psychological distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic significantly rose from 24% to 66% between the peak and off-peak transmission period, respectively. Unemployment rate and loneliness increased negative mental health outcomes, although the number of active COVID-19 cases decreased from April to September. Psychological distress scores increased mostly in female, young, and lonely people. Conclusions: Our results underline the importance of considering innovative alternatives to facilitate employment opportunities, distant contacts, and self-help over the course of the pandemic. Our study highlights the urgent need to pay attention to mental health services specifically targeting female, young, unemployed, and lonely people.

Keywords: Sino-German assessment and evaluation; across cultures and over time; jobs and economic transformation; management in epidemics and pandemics; mental health and wellbeing; national and international survey; perceived social isolation; prevention policies; workforce recovery strategy.

Figure 1

Psychological distress response, unemployment rate, and active cases of COVID-19 in Germany between April and September 2020: the error bars represent standard errors of the mean. Data of the unemployment rate in Germany were retrieved from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economy/Short-Term-Indicators/Labour-Market/arb210a.html). Date of the active cases of COVID-19 in Germany (i.e., by removing deaths and recoveries from total cases) were retrieved from Worldometer’s COVID-19 data (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/germany/). The monthly average of active cases was calculated by the sum of daily active cases divided by the number of days in that month.

Figure 2

The effect of high (N = 446) versus low (N = 407) loneliness scores on psychological distress response in Germany during the period of off-peak transmission of COVID-19: for group comparison, each participant’s self-reported loneliness score (ULS-8) was ranked higher versus lower than the median (N = 853/896: 43 subjects’ data in the median were removed).