Has COVID-19 Made Depression More Prevalent?

A recent study from the Boston University School of Medicine has revealed new insight into the mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, with researchers warning depression rates have tripled since the virus hit in April. The study is the first of its kind, with findings published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Depression rates triple in US

Prior to the pandemic around 8.5% of American adults were diagnosed with depression. Since the virus swept the USA in April, this figure has tripled to almost 28%. As well as general stress caused by the global health crisis, senior author Dr. Sandro Galea says pressure on incomes and savings has played a role in pushing up depression rates.

“Depression in the general population after prior large scale traumatic events has been observed to, at most, double," says Galea, referring to other national crises such as civil unrest in Hong Kong and the September 11 attacks. “We were surprised to see these results at first, but other studies since conducted suggest similar-scale mental health consequences," adds Galea.

Financial stress key predictor of depression

To measure depression rates Galea and his team used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ 9), a standard self-administered depression screening tool used in the USA. The team drew on responses from more than 5000 participants from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and an additional 1441 from the more recent COVID-19 Life Stressors Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being (CLIMB) study conducted in March and April.

While all demographic groups exhibited an increase in depression, financial stress was a major predictor. After adjusting other factors, the researchers found that participants with less than $5000 in savings were 50% more likely to suffer from depression than those with more than $5000 in the bank.

“Persons who were already at risk before COVID-19, with fewer social and economic resources, were more likely to report probable depression, suggesting that inequity may increase during this time and that health gaps may widen," says Catherine Ettman, lead author of the study. “We would hope that these findings promote creating a society where a robust safety net exists, where people have fair wages, where equitable policies and practices exist, and where families can not only live on their income but can also save money towards the future.”

Health experts urge for policy reform

As COVID-19 continues to plague the United States, Ettman says it’s up to the government to introduce policies such as eviction moratoria, financial assistance and universal health insurance. She asserts that as well as safeguarding national health, these policies will also address growing rates of mental illness.  

With COVID-19 threatening both physical and mental health, the race to find a vaccine or treatment has intensified. Find out more in Solving Freeze Drying Bottlenecks For Diagnostics and Vaccines Production In The ‘New Normal’