Different trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a UK longitudinal sample

Christine E. Parsons; Kirstin L. Purves; Megan Skelton; Alicia J. Peel; Molly R. Davies; Fruhling Rijsdijk; Shannon Bristow; Thalia C. Eley; Gerome Breen; Colette R. Hirsch; Katherine S. Young

doi:10.1017/S0033291722003828

Different trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a UK longitudinal sample

Christine E. Parsons^*, Kirstin L. Purves, Megan Skelton, Alicia J. Peel, Molly R. Davies, Fruhling Rijsdijk, Shannon Bristow, Thalia C. Eley, Gerome Breen, Colette R. Hirsch, Katherine S. Young

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background. While studies from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have described initial negative effects on mental health and exacerbating mental health inequalities, longer-term studies are only now emerging. Method. In total, 34 465 individuals in the UK completed online questionnaires and were recontacted over the first 12 months of the pandemic. We used growth mixture modelling to identify trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms using the 12-month data. We identified sociodemographic predictors of trajectory class membership using multinomial regression models. Results. Most participants had consistently low symptoms of depression or anxiety over the year of assessments (60%, 69% respectively), and a minority had consistently high symptoms (10%, 15%). We also identified participants who appeared to show improvements in symptoms as the pandemic progressed, and others who showed the opposite pattern, marked symptom worsening, until the second national lockdown. Unexpectedly, most participants showed stable low positive affect, indicating anhedonia, throughout the 12-month period. From regression analyses, younger age, reporting a previous mental health diagnosis, non-binary, or self-defined gender, and an unemployed or a student status were significantly associated with membership of the stable high symptom groups for depression and anxiety. Conclusions. While most participants showed little change in their depression and anxiety symptoms across the first year of the pandemic, we highlight the divergent responses of subgroups of participants, who fared both better and worse around national lockdowns. We confirm that previously identified predictors of negative outcomes in the first months of the pandemic also predict negative outcomes over a 12-month period.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	6524-6534
Number of pages	11
Journal	Psychological Medicine
Volume	53
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722003828
Publication status	Published - 5 Dec 2022

Keywords

Anhedonia
COVID-19 pandemic
lockdown restrictions
trajectory modelling

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1017/S0033291722003828

https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0033291722003828/type/journal_article

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Parsons, C. E., Purves, K. L., Skelton, M., Peel, A. J., Davies, M. R., Rijsdijk, F., Bristow, S., Eley, T. C., Breen, G., Hirsch, C. R., & Young, K. S. (2022). Different trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a UK longitudinal sample. Psychological Medicine, 53(14), 6524-6534. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722003828

@article{88c23580edd047f6a40db4c48b44a93f,

title = "Different trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a UK longitudinal sample",

abstract = "Background. While studies from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have described initial negative effects on mental health and exacerbating mental health inequalities, longer-term studies are only now emerging. Method. In total, 34 465 individuals in the UK completed online questionnaires and were recontacted over the first 12 months of the pandemic. We used growth mixture modelling to identify trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms using the 12-month data. We identified sociodemographic predictors of trajectory class membership using multinomial regression models. Results. Most participants had consistently low symptoms of depression or anxiety over the year of assessments (60%, 69% respectively), and a minority had consistently high symptoms (10%, 15%). We also identified participants who appeared to show improvements in symptoms as the pandemic progressed, and others who showed the opposite pattern, marked symptom worsening, until the second national lockdown. Unexpectedly, most participants showed stable low positive affect, indicating anhedonia, throughout the 12-month period. From regression analyses, younger age, reporting a previous mental health diagnosis, non-binary, or self-defined gender, and an unemployed or a student status were significantly associated with membership of the stable high symptom groups for depression and anxiety. Conclusions. While most participants showed little change in their depression and anxiety symptoms across the first year of the pandemic, we highlight the divergent responses of subgroups of participants, who fared both better and worse around national lockdowns. We confirm that previously identified predictors of negative outcomes in the first months of the pandemic also predict negative outcomes over a 12-month period.",

keywords = "Anhedonia, COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown restrictions, trajectory modelling",

author = "Parsons, {Christine E.} and Purves, {Kirstin L.} and Megan Skelton and Peel, {Alicia J.} and Davies, {Molly R.} and Fruhling Rijsdijk and Shannon Bristow and Eley, {Thalia C.} and Gerome Breen and Hirsch, {Colette R.} and Young, {Katherine S.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press.",

year = "2022",

month = dec,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1017/S0033291722003828",

language = "English",

volume = "53",

pages = "6524--6534",

journal = "Psychological Medicine",

issn = "0033-2917",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "14",

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Parsons, CE, Purves, KL, Skelton, M, Peel, AJ, Davies, MR, Rijsdijk, F, Bristow, S, Eley, TC , Breen, G , Hirsch, CR & Young, KS 2022, 'Different trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a UK longitudinal sample', Psychological Medicine, vol. 53, no. 14, pp. 6524-6534. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722003828

TY - JOUR

T1 - Different trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a UK longitudinal sample

AU - Parsons, Christine E.

AU - Purves, Kirstin L.

AU - Skelton, Megan

AU - Peel, Alicia J.

AU - Davies, Molly R.

AU - Rijsdijk, Fruhling

AU - Bristow, Shannon

AU - Eley, Thalia C.

AU - Breen, Gerome

AU - Hirsch, Colette R.

AU - Young, Katherine S.

PY - 2022/12/5

Y1 - 2022/12/5

N2 - Background. While studies from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have described initial negative effects on mental health and exacerbating mental health inequalities, longer-term studies are only now emerging. Method. In total, 34 465 individuals in the UK completed online questionnaires and were recontacted over the first 12 months of the pandemic. We used growth mixture modelling to identify trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms using the 12-month data. We identified sociodemographic predictors of trajectory class membership using multinomial regression models. Results. Most participants had consistently low symptoms of depression or anxiety over the year of assessments (60%, 69% respectively), and a minority had consistently high symptoms (10%, 15%). We also identified participants who appeared to show improvements in symptoms as the pandemic progressed, and others who showed the opposite pattern, marked symptom worsening, until the second national lockdown. Unexpectedly, most participants showed stable low positive affect, indicating anhedonia, throughout the 12-month period. From regression analyses, younger age, reporting a previous mental health diagnosis, non-binary, or self-defined gender, and an unemployed or a student status were significantly associated with membership of the stable high symptom groups for depression and anxiety. Conclusions. While most participants showed little change in their depression and anxiety symptoms across the first year of the pandemic, we highlight the divergent responses of subgroups of participants, who fared both better and worse around national lockdowns. We confirm that previously identified predictors of negative outcomes in the first months of the pandemic also predict negative outcomes over a 12-month period.

AB - Background. While studies from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have described initial negative effects on mental health and exacerbating mental health inequalities, longer-term studies are only now emerging. Method. In total, 34 465 individuals in the UK completed online questionnaires and were recontacted over the first 12 months of the pandemic. We used growth mixture modelling to identify trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms using the 12-month data. We identified sociodemographic predictors of trajectory class membership using multinomial regression models. Results. Most participants had consistently low symptoms of depression or anxiety over the year of assessments (60%, 69% respectively), and a minority had consistently high symptoms (10%, 15%). We also identified participants who appeared to show improvements in symptoms as the pandemic progressed, and others who showed the opposite pattern, marked symptom worsening, until the second national lockdown. Unexpectedly, most participants showed stable low positive affect, indicating anhedonia, throughout the 12-month period. From regression analyses, younger age, reporting a previous mental health diagnosis, non-binary, or self-defined gender, and an unemployed or a student status were significantly associated with membership of the stable high symptom groups for depression and anxiety. Conclusions. While most participants showed little change in their depression and anxiety symptoms across the first year of the pandemic, we highlight the divergent responses of subgroups of participants, who fared both better and worse around national lockdowns. We confirm that previously identified predictors of negative outcomes in the first months of the pandemic also predict negative outcomes over a 12-month period.

KW - Anhedonia

KW - COVID-19 pandemic

KW - lockdown restrictions

KW - trajectory modelling

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144365003&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/S0033291722003828

DO - 10.1017/S0033291722003828

M3 - Article

C2 - 36468440

SN - 0033-2917

VL - 53

SP - 6524

EP - 6534

JO - Psychological Medicine

JF - Psychological Medicine

IS - 14

ER -

Different trajectories of depression, anxiety and anhedonia symptoms in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a UK longitudinal sample

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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