Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33081860›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science2021

Mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal analyses of adults in the UK COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellbeing study.

Rory C O'Connor, Karen Wetherall, Seonaid Cleare, Heather McClelland, Ambrose J Melson, Claire L Niedzwiedz, Ronan E O'Carroll, Daryl B O'Connor, Steve Platt, Elizabeth Scowcroft and 4 more

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In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 573 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
573citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
77.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

573 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 1,091 citations in OpenAlex.

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513 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Rory C O'ConnorSuicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3650-4994
Karen WetherallSuicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4000-8969
Seonaid CleareSuicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.
Heather McClellandSuicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.
Ambrose J MelsonSuicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1415-3801
Claire L NiedzwiedzInstitute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.
Ronan E O'CarrollDivision of Psychology, University of Stirling, UK.
Daryl B O'ConnorSchool of Psychology, University of Leeds, UK.
Steve PlattUsher Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK.
Elizabeth ScowcroftSamaritans, UK.
Billy WatsonScottish Association for Mental Health, UK.
Tiago ZorteaSuicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8451-0555
Eamonn FergusonSchool of Psychology, Nottingham University, UK.
Kathryn A RobbInstitute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.
University of Glasgow · GBMind · GBUniversity of Edinburgh · GBUniversity of Leeds · GBUniversity of Nottingham · GBUniversity of Stirling · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/R024774/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the population's mental health and well-being are likely to be profound and long lasting.

aimsTo investigate the trajectory of mental health and well-being during the first 6 weeks of lockdown in adults in the UK.

methodA quota survey design and a sampling frame that permitted recruitment of a national sample was employed. Findings for waves 1 (31 March to 9 April 2020), 2 (10 April to 27 April 2020) and 3 (28 April to 11 May 2020) are reported here. A range of mental health factors was assessed: pre-existing mental health problems, suicide attempts and self-harm, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, defeat, entrapment, mental well-being and loneliness.

resultsA total of 3077 adults in the UK completed the survey at wave 1. Suicidal ideation increased over time. Symptoms of anxiety, and levels of defeat and entrapment decreased across waves whereas levels of depressive symptoms did not change significantly. Positive well-being also increased. Levels of loneliness did not change significantly over waves. Subgroup analyses showed that women, young people (18-29 years), those from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with pre-existing mental health problems have worse mental health outcomes during the pandemic across most factors.

conclusionsThe mental health and well-being of the UK adult population appears to have been affected in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increasing rates of suicidal thoughts across waves, especially among young adults, are concerning.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentCommunicable Disease ControlFemaleHumansMental HealthPandemicsSARS-CoV-2United KingdomYoung AdultCOVID-19depressiongeneral populationmental healthsuicidal ideation

Identifiers

PMID33081860
PMCPMC7684009
OpenAlexW3092471376

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.