STUDY: Anxiety, Depression, Traumatic Stress, and COVID-19 Related Anxiety in the UK General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis necessitating drastic changes to living conditions, social life, personal freedom and economic activity. No study has yet examined the presence of psychiatric symptoms in the UK population in similar conditions. Aims We investigated the prevalence of COVID-19 related anxiety, generalised anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms in a representative sample of the UK population during an early phase of the pandemic, and estimated associations with variables likely to influence these symptoms. Method Between March 23rd and March 28th 2020, a quota sample of 2025 UK adults 18 years and older, stratified by age, sex and household income, was recruited by online survey company Qualtrics. Participants completed measures of depression (PHQ9), generalised anxiety (GAD7), and trauma symptoms relating to the pandemic (ITQ). Bivariate and multivariate associations were calculated for age, gender, rural vs urban environment, presence of children in the household, income, loss of income, pre-existing health conditions in self and someone close, infection in self and someone close, and perceived risk of infection over the next month. Results Higher levels of anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms were reported compared to previous population studies, but not dramatically so. Meeting the criteria for either anxiety or depression, and trauma symptoms was predicted by young age, presence of children in the home, and high estimates of personal risk. Anxiety and depression symptoms were also predicted by low income, loss of income, and pre-existing health conditions in self and other. Specific anxiety about COVID-19 was greater in older participants. Conclusions The UK population, especially older citizens, were largely resilient in the early stages of the pandemic. However, several specific COVID-related variables are associated with psychological distress: particularly having children at home, loss of income because of the pandemic, as well as having a pre-existing health condition, exposure to the virus and high estimates of personal risk. Further similar surveys, particularly of those with children at home, are required as the pandemic progresses.

背景：COVID-19大流行引发了一场空前的全球性危机，迫使生活条件、社会生活、个人自由和经济活动发生剧烈变革。迄今为止，尚无研究探讨在英国人口中类似条件下精神症状的存在。目标：本研究旨在调查大流行早期阶段英国代表性人群样本中与COVID-19相关的焦虑、广泛性焦虑、抑郁和创伤症状的流行情况，并估计这些症状与可能影响它们的变量之间的关联。方法：2020年3月23日至3月28日，通过在线调查公司Qualtrics招募了2025名18岁及以上的英国成年人，按年龄、性别和家庭收入分层。参与者完成了抑郁（PHQ9）、广泛性焦虑（GAD7）以及与大流行相关的创伤症状（ITQ）的测量。计算了年龄、性别、农村与城市环境、家庭中是否有孩子、收入、收入损失、自我或亲近人的既往健康状况、自我或亲近人的感染以及下个月感染风险感知的双变量和多变量关联。结果：与以往的人口研究相比，报告的焦虑、抑郁和创伤症状水平较高，但并非显著。符合焦虑或抑郁以及创伤症状标准者，其预测因素包括年轻年龄、家庭中存在孩子以及个人风险的高估计。焦虑和抑郁症状的预测因素还包括低收入、收入损失以及自我或他人的既往健康状况。对COVID-19的特定焦虑在老年参与者中更为普遍。结论：在英国，特别是老年公民，在大流行早期阶段表现出较强的韧性。然而，一些特定的COVID相关变量与心理痛苦相关：尤其是家庭中有孩子、因大流行而失业、以及有既往健康状况、接触病毒以及个人风险估计较高。随着大流行的进展，需要进一步进行类似调查，特别是针对家庭中有孩子的群体。