Impacts of COVID-19 on mental health in the US: evidence from a national survey

Abstract

Background: Studies have reported substantial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, but little is known whether the impacts of COVID on individuals, such as being tested for COVID or experiencing disruptions to healthcare utilization, would affect their mental health differently.

Aims: To examine the impacts of COVID-19 on depression and anxiety disorders among US adults.

Methods: We included 8098 adults with no prior mental health problems using data from the National Health Interview Survey (2019-2020). We examined two outcomes: current depression and anxiety; and three COVID-related impact measures: ever COVID test, delayed medical care, and no medical care due to COVID. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted.

Results: Delayed or no medical care were significantly associated with current depression, with adjusted relative risks (aRRs) of 2.17 (95% CI, 1.48-2.85) and 1.85 (95% CI, 1.33-2.38). All three COVID-related impact measures were significantly associated with current anxiety. The aRRs were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.01-1.32) for ever COVID test, 1.94 (95% CI, 1.64-2.24) for no medical care, and 1.90 (95% CI, 1.63-2.18) for delayed medical care.

Conclusions: Individuals who were affected by COVID were more likely to experience depression or anxiety disorders. Mental health services need to prioritize these high-risk groups.

Keywords: COVID-19; access to care; anxiety; depression.