Relationships between depression and anxiety symptoms scores and blood pressure in young adults

Abstract Background Concerns have been raised that the COVID-19 pandemic could increase risk for adverse mental health outcomes, especially in young adults, a vulnerable age group. We investigated changes in depression and anxiety symptoms (overall and severe) from before to during the pandemic, as well as whether these changes are linked to COVID-19-related stressors and pre-existing vulnerabilities in young adults followed in the context of a population-based cohort. Method Participants (n = 1039) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development reported on their depression (Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, short form) and anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale) symptoms and completed a COVID-19 questionnaire during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 (age 22 years). Assessments at age 20 (2018) were used to estimate pre-pandemic depression and anxiety symptom severity. Results While mean levels of depression and anxiety symptoms did not change from before to during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., the mean of depressive symptoms was 9.30 in 2018 and 9.59 in 2020), we observed a slight increase in rates of severe depression (scores ≥ 21) from before (6.1%) to during (8.2%) the pandemic. Most COVID-19-related variables (e.g., loss of education/occupation, frequent news-seeking) – except living alone – and most pre-existing vulnerabilities (e.g., low SES, low social support) were not associated with changes in depression or anxiety symptoms. However, results varied as a function of pre-pandemic levels of depression and anxiety: depression and anxiety symptoms increased among adults with the lowest levels of symptoms before the pandemic, while they decreased among those with the highest levels of symptoms, possibly reflecting a regression to the mean. Conclusions Depression and anxiety symptoms in young adults from Québec in Summer 2020 were mostly comparable to symptoms reported in 2018. Most COVID-19-related stressors and pre-existing vulnerabilities were not associated with changes in symptoms, except living alone and pre-existing symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, the increased rate of severe depression warrants further investigation.

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WITHIN-VISIT BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILTY IS ASSOCIATED TO ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS WITH BOTH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

Journal of Hypertension ◽

10.1097/01.hjh.0000572544.14350.18 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 ◽

pp. e197

Author(s):

A.C. Loayza Benchimol Barbosa ◽

R. Altenburg Gismondi ◽

R. De Oliveira Almeida ◽

F. Aguiar Machado ◽

G. Bezerra De Menezes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Hypertensive Patients

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Increases in depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720005358 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Mariah T. Hawes ◽

Aline K. Szenczy ◽

Daniel N. Klein ◽

Greg Hajcak ◽

Brady D. Nelson

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Young Adults ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Child Anxiety ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

The U.S

Abstract Background The coronavirus [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] pandemic has introduced extraordinary life changes and stress, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Initial reports suggest that depression and anxiety are elevated during COVID-19, but no prior study has explored changes at the within-person level. The current study explored changes in depression and anxiety symptoms from before the pandemic to soon after it first peaked in Spring 2020 in a sample of adolescents and young adults (N = 451) living in Long Island, New York, an early epicenter of COVID-19 in the U.S. Methods Depression (Children's Depression Inventory) and anxiety symptoms (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Symptoms) were assessed between December 2014 and July 2019, and, along with COVID-19 experiences, symptoms were re-assessed between March 27th and May 15th, 2020. Results Across participants and independent of age, there were increased generalized anxiety and social anxiety symptoms. In females, there were also increased depression and panic/somatic symptoms. Multivariable linear regression indicated that greater COVID-19 school concerns were uniquely associated with increased depression symptoms. Greater COVID-19 home confinement concerns were uniquely associated with increased generalized anxiety symptoms, and decreased social anxiety symptoms, respectively. Conclusions Adolescents and young adults at an early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. experienced increased depression and anxiety symptoms, particularly amongst females. School and home confinement concerns related to the pandemic were independently associated with changes in symptoms. Overall, this report suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic is having multifarious adverse effects on the mental health of youth.

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Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of guided Internet- and mobile-based CBT for adolescents and young adults with chronic somatic conditions and comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms (youthCOACHCD): study protocol for a multicentre randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-019-4041-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Frederike Lunkenheimer ◽

◽

Matthias Domhardt ◽

Agnes Geirhos ◽

Reinhold Kilian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Young Adults ◽

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Study Protocol ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Comorbid Depression ◽

Randomized Controlled

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Depression and anxiety symptoms are related to problematic smartphone use severity in Chinese young adults: Fear of missing out as a mediator

Addictive Behaviors ◽

10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.04.020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 101 ◽

pp. 105962 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Jon D. Elhai ◽

Haibo Yang ◽

Jianwen Fang ◽

Xuejun Bai ◽

Brian J. Hall

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Problematic Smartphone Use ◽

Fear Of Missing Out ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Chinese Young Adults

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Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Young Adults Before and During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Canadian Population-Based Cohort

10.1101/2021.04.23.21255994 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

K. Watkins-Martin ◽

Massimiliano Orri ◽

Marie-Hélène Pennestri ◽

Natalie Castellanos-Ryan ◽

Simon Larose ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Anxiety Symptom ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Population Based ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Canadian Population ◽

Increase Risk ◽

Severe Anxiety

Background: Concerns have been raised that the Covid-19 pandemic could increase risk for poor mental health, especially in young adults, a vulnerable age group. We investigated changes in depression and anxiety symptoms (overall and severe) from before to during the pandemic, as well as whether these changes are linked to Covid-19 related stressors and pre-existing vulnerabilities in young adults followed in the context of a population-based cohort. Method: Participants (n=1039) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development reported on their depression and anxiety and completed a Covid-19 questionnaire during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Summer 2020 (age 22 years). Assessments at age 20 (2018) were used to estimate pre-pandemic depression and anxiety symptom severity. Results: While overall levels of depression and anxiety symptoms did not change, there was an increase in rates of severe depression (but not severe anxiety) from before (6.1%) to during (8.2%) the pandemic. Covid-19 related variables (e.g., loss of education/occupation, frequent news seeking) and pre-existing vulnerabilities (e.g., low SES, low social support) were not associated with changes in depression or anxiety symptoms. Further, youth with pre-existing depression and anxiety symptoms did not report a greater increase in symptoms during the pandemic, compared to those without; instead, they tended to show an improvement. Interpretation: Depression and anxiety symptoms in young adults from Quebec in Summer 2020 were comparable to symptoms reported in 2018. Most Covid-19 related stressors and pre-existing vulnerabilities were not associated with change in symptoms. However, the increased rate of severe depression is concerning.

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