scholarly journals Longitudinal changes in psychological distress in the UK from 2019 to September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a large nationally representative study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Daly ◽  
Eric Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Longitudinal Analyses ◽  
Longitudinal Changes ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Large N ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
The Uk

In a large (n =10918), national, longitudinal probability-based sample of UK adults the prevalence of clinically significant psychological distress rose from prepandemic levels of 20.8% in 2019 to 29.5% in April 2020 and then declined significantly to prepandemic levels by September (20.8%). Longitudinal analyses showed that all demographic groups examined (age, sex, race/ethnicity, income) experienced increases in distress after the onset of the pandemic followed by significant decreases. By September 2020 distress levels were indistinguishable from prepandemic levels for all groups. This recovery may reflect the influence of the easing of restrictions and adaptation to the demands of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Psychological distress associated with the second COVID-19 wave: Prospective evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Daly ◽  
Eric Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Fixed Effects Regression ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Pandemic Wave

BackgroundIn late 2020 a second wave of COVID-19 infections occurred in many countries and resulted in a national lockdown in the UK including stay at home orders and school closures. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of psychological distress before and during the second COVID-19 wave in the UK. MethodsThis study drew on data from 10,657 participants from the nationally representative probability-based UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) assessment measure was used to detect the proportion of UK adults experiencing clinically significant psychological distress. Changes in distress levels associated with the second pandemic wave were examined between September 2020 and January 2021 using logistic regression and linear fixed-effects regression models. ResultsLongitudinal analyses showed that the prevalence of clinically significant distress rose by 5.8% (95% CI:4.4-7.2) from 21.3% in September 2020 to 27.1% in January 2021, compared with a 2019 pre-pandemic estimate of 21% in this cohort. Fixed effects analyses confirmed that the second COVID-19 wave was associated with a significant within-person increase in distress (d =0.15, p<.001). Increases were particularly pronounced among those with school-age children in the home. LimitationsA non-specific measure of mental health symptoms was utilized and it was not possible to separate the potential impact of the pandemic from other changes occurring in tandem within the study period. ConclusionClinically significant distress rose during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and reached levels similar to those observed in the immediate aftermath of the first pandemic wave.

scholarly journals Heterogeneous Mental Health Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Ellwardt ◽  
Patrick Praeg
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk

Aim. The COVID-19 pandemic and the mitigation measures by governments have upended the economic and social lives of many, leading to widespread psychological distress. However, how distress developed during the pandemic and who was most affected is poorly understood. We explore heterogeneity in trajectories of psychological distress during the first six months of the pandemic in the United Kingdom and relate this heterogeneity to socio-demographic and health factors. Subjects and Methods. We analyze six waves of longitudinal, nationally representative survey data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (N = 15,218), covering the first lockdown in 2020. First, latent class mixture modelling (LCCM) is used to identify trajectories of psychological distress. Second, associations of the trajectories with covariates are tested with multinomial logistic regressions. Results. We find four different trajectories of distress: continuously low, continuously moderate, temporarily elevated, and continuously elevated distress. One-fifth of the population experienced severely elevated risks of distress. Long-term exposure was highest among younger people, women, those who lost income, and those with previous health conditions or COVID-19 symptoms. Conclusion. Given the threat of persistent stress on health, policy measures should be sensitized to the unintended yet far-reaching consequences of non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Ageing and Alcohol: Drinking Typologies among Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1486-1497
Author(s):  
Ann M. Roche ◽  
Nathan J. Harrison ◽  
Janine Chapman ◽  
Victoria Kostadinov ◽  
Richard J. Woodman
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Targeted Prevention ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Secondary Analyses ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Group 2

Objectives: Alcohol consumption and harms among older people are increasing. We examined different demographic characteristics and drinking patterns among an older population. Methods: Secondary analyses of nationally representative Australian data; subjects aged 50+ years ( N = 10,856). Two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify demographic groups and alcohol consumption behaviours. Results: Three groups were identified: Group 1 (older, unmarried, and lived alone): >65 years, moderate drinkers, poorest health, psychological distress, social disadvantage, smokers, illicit drug users, and more frequent previous alcohol treatment. Group 3 (older married): >65 years, good health, low psychological distress, less likely to drink at risky levels, and one in five drank daily. Group 2 (younger married): 50–64 years, mostly employed, highest proportion of risky drinkers and of 5+ standard drinks per session, and liberal drinking attitudes with most concern from others about their drinking. Discussion: These demographic typologies can inform targeted prevention efforts for an estimated 1.3 million adults older than 50 years drinking at risky levels.

scholarly journals Descriptive epidemiology of energy expenditure in the UK: Findings from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008 – 2015

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soren Brage ◽  
Tim Lindsay ◽  
Michelle Venables ◽  
Katrien Wijndaele ◽  
Kate Westgate ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Total Energy Expenditure ◽  
Fat Free Mass ◽  
Nutrition Survey ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Human Energy ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk

AbstractBackgroundLittle is known about population levels of energy expenditure as national surveillance systems typically employ only crude measures. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) in the UK measures energy expenditure in a 10% subsample by gold-standard doubly-labelled water (DLW).MethodsDLW-subsample participants from the NDNS (383 males, 387 females) aged 4-91yrs were recruited between 2008 and 2015. Height and weight were measured, and bodyfat percentage was estimated by deuterium dilution.ResultsAbsolute Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) increases steadily throughout childhood, ranging from 6.3 and 7.2 MJ/day in 4-7yr-old to 9.9 and 11.8 MJ/day for 14-16yr-old girls and boys, respectively. TEE peaked in 17-27yr-old women (10.9 MJ/day) and 28-43yr-old men (14.4 MJ/day), before decreasing gradually in old age. Physical Acitivty Energy Expenditure (PAEE) declines steadily with age from childhood (87.7 kJ/day/kg in 4-7yr olds) through to old age (38.9 kJ/day/kg in 71-91yr olds). Bodyfat percentage was strongly inversely associated with PAEE throughout life, irrespective of expressing PAEE relative to bodymass or fat-free mass. Compared to females with <30% bodyfat, females >40% recorded 28 kJ/day/kg and 17 kJ/day/kg fat-free mass less PAEE in analyses adjusted for age, geographical region, and time of assessment. Similarly, compared to males with <25% bodyfat, males >35% recorded 26 kJ/day/kg and 10 kJ/day/kg fat-free mass less PAEE.ConclusionsThis first nationally representative study reports levels of human energy expenditure as measured by gold-standard methodology; values may serve as reference for other population studies. Age, sex and body composition are main biological determinants of energy expenditure.Key messagesFirst nationally representative study of human energy expenditure, covering the UK in the period 2008-2015Total Energy Expenditure (MJ/day) increases steadily with age thoughout childhood and adolescence, peaks in the 3rd decade of life in women and 4th decade of life in men, before decreasing gradually in old agePhysical Acitivty Energy Expenditure (kJ/day/kg or kJ/day/kg fat-free mass) declines steadily with age from childhood to old age, more steeply so in malesBodyfat percentage is strongly inversely associated with physical activity energy expenditure

scholarly journals Informal caregiving patterns and trajectories of psychological distress in the UK Household Longitudinal Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 1652-1660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca E. Lacey ◽  
Anne McMunn ◽  
Elizabeth Webb
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Regression Coefficient ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Informal Caregiving ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Over Time

AbstractBackgroundApproximately seven million people in the UK are engaged in informal caregiving. Informal caregivers are at risk of poorer mental and physical health. However, less is known about how the relationship between the informal caregiving and psychological distress changes over time. The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinal associations between the informal caregiving and psychological distress amongst UK men and women aged 16+.MethodsData were analysed from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS, n = 9368), a nationally representative study of UK households. Longitudinal linear mixed modelling was used to estimate associations between the longitudinal patterns of informal caregiving (non-caregiver/one episode of 1–2 years/intermittent caregiving/3+ years caregiving) and trajectories of psychological distress across seven waves of UKHLS data.ResultsInformal caregiving was not associated with psychological distress for men. Women engaged in long-term (⩾3 years) or intermittent caregiving had higher levels of psychological distress at the point of initiation, compared with women who were not caregivers throughout the study period (3+ years caregiver: regression coefficient 0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07–0.89; intermittent caregiver: regression coefficient 0.47, 95% CI 0.02–0.92). Trajectories of psychological distress changed little over time, suggesting a plateau effect for these caregiving women.ConclusionsWomen engaged in long-term or repeated shorter episodes of informal caregiving reported more symptoms of psychological distress than non-caregiving women. Given the increased risk of reporting psychological distress and the increasing importance of the informal care sector, the risk of poorer mental health of informal caregivers should be a priority for public health.

scholarly journals Household level health and socio-economic vulnerabilities and the COVID-19 crisis: An analysis from the UK

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Mikolai ◽  
Katherine Keenan ◽  
Hill Kulu
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Retirement Age ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk

Objectives. To investigate how COVID-19-related health and socio-economic vulnerabilities occur at the household level, and how they are distributed across household types and geographical areas in the United Kingdom. Design. Cross-sectional, nationally representative study. Setting. The United Kingdom. Participants. ~19,500 households. Main outcome measures. Using multiple household-level indicators and principal components analysis, we derive summary measures representing different dimensions of household vulnerabilities critical during the COVID-19 epidemic: health, employment, housing, financial and digital. Results. Our analysis highlights three key findings. First, although COVID-19 health risks are concentrated in retirement-age households, a substantial proportion of working age households also face these risks. Second, different types of households exhibit different vulnerabilities, with working-age households more likely to face financial, housing and employment precarities, and retirement-age households health and digital vulnerabilities. Third, there are area-level differences in the distribution of vulnerabilities across England and the constituent countries of the United Kingdom. Conclusions. The findings imply that the short- and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis are likely to vary by household type. Policy measures that aim to mitigate the health and socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic should consider how vulnerabilities cluster together across different household types, and how these may exacerbate already existing inequalities.

scholarly journals Heterogeneous mental health development during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Ellwardt ◽  
Patrick Präg
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic and the mitigation measures by governments have upended the economic and social lives of many, leading to widespread psychological distress. We explore heterogeneity in trajectories of psychological distress during the pandemic in the United Kingdom and relate this heterogeneity to socio-demographic and health factors. We analyze nine waves of longitudinal, nationally representative survey data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study ($$N=15{,}914$$ N = 15 , 914 ), covering the period from early 2020 to mid-2021. First, latent class mixture modelling is used to identify trajectories of psychological distress. Second, associations of the trajectories with covariates are tested with multinomial logistic regressions. We find four different trajectories of distress: continuously low, temporarily elevated, repeatedly elevated, and continuously elevated distress. Nearly two fifths of the population experienced severely elevated risks of distress during the pandemic. Long-term distress was highest among younger people, women, people living without a partner, those who had no work or lost income, and those with previous health conditions or COVID-19 symptoms. Given the threat of persistent stress on health, policy measures should be sensitized to the unintended yet far-reaching consequences of non-pharmaceutical interventions.

scholarly journals Mental health and health behaviours before and during the COVID-19 lockdown: Longitudinal analyses of the UK Household Longitudinal Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire L Niedzwiedz ◽  
Michael Green ◽  
Michaela Benzeval ◽  
Desmond D Campbell ◽  
Peter Craig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
List Type ◽  
Longitudinal Analyses ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Uk

AbstractBackgroundThere are concerns that COVID-19 mitigation measures, including “lockdown” may have unintended health consequences. We examined trends in mental health and health behaviours in the UK before and during the COVID-19 lockdown and differences across population subgroups.MethodsRepeat cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey, including representative samples of adults (aged 18+) interviewed in four surveys between 2015 and 2020 (n=48,426). 9,748 adults had complete data for longitudinal analyses. Psychological distress was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ). Binary outcomes were created for loneliness, current smoking and use of e-cigarettes. Alcohol consumption was assessed using three binary measures assessing frequent, binge and heavy drinking. Cross-sectional weighted prevalence estimates were calculated and multilevel Poisson regression assessed associations between time period and the outcomes of interest, as well as differential effects by age, gender, education level and ethnicity.ResultsPsychological distress substantially increased one month into the COVID-19 lockdown, with the prevalence rising from 19.4% (95% CI 18.7%-20.0%) in 2017-19 to 30.3% (95% CI 29.1%-31.6%) in April 2020. Women’s mental health was particularly affected, as was that of the most educated and young adults. Loneliness remained stable overall. Smoking and e-cigarette use declined and the proportion of people drinking on four or more days per week increased, as did binge drinking.ConclusionsPsychological distress increased one month into lockdown, particularly among women and young adults. Smoking declined, but the frequency of alcohol consumption increased. Effective treatment and prevention are required to mitigate adverse impacts on health.What is already known on this topicCountries around the world have implemented radical COVID-19 lockdown measures, with concerns that these may have unintended consequences for a broad range of health outcomes.Evidence on the impacts of lockdown measures on mental health and health-related behaviours remains limited.What this study addsIn the UK, psychological distress markedly increased during the lockdown, with women particularly adversely affected.Smoking and e-cigarette use fell, but the frequency of alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased.

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