Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33899939›Full record

ArticleThe Medical journal of Australia2021

Trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in a representative Australian adult cohort.

Philip J Batterham, Alison L Calear, Sonia M McCallum, Alyssa R Morse, Michelle Banfield, Louise M Farrer, Amelia Gulliver, Nicolas Cherbuin, Rachael M Rodney Harris, Yiyun Shou and 1 more

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Article in The Medical journal of Australia, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 72 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
72citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

72 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  6. Anxiety Linked to COVID-19: A Systematic Review Comparing Anxiety Rates in Different Populations.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
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12 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Philip J BatterhamCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.ORCID 0000-0002-4547-6876
Alison L CalearCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Sonia M McCallumCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Alyssa R MorseCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Michelle BanfieldCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Louise M FarrerCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Amelia GulliverCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Nicolas CherbuinCentre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Rachael M Rodney HarrisNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Yiyun ShouAustralian National University, Canberra, ACT.
Amy DawelAustralian National University, Canberra, ACT.ORCID 0000-0001-6668-3121

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo estimate initial levels of symptoms of depression and anxiety, and their changes during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia; to identify trajectories of symptoms of depression and anxiety; to identify factors associated with these trajectories. DESIGN, SETTING,

participantsLongitudinal cohort study; seven fortnightly online surveys of a representative sample of 1296 Australian adults from the beginning of COVID-19-related restrictions in late March 2020 to mid-June 2020.

main outcome measuresSymptoms of depression and anxiety, measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scales; trajectories of symptom change.

resultsYounger age, being female, greater COVID-19-related work and social impairment, COVID-19-related financial distress, having a neurological or mental illness diagnosis, and recent adversity were each significantly associated with higher baseline depression and anxiety scores. Growth mixture models identified three latent trajectories for depression symptoms (low throughout the study, 81% of participants; moderate throughout the study, 10%; initially severe then declining, 9%) and four for anxiety symptoms (low throughout the study, 77%; initially moderate then increasing, 10%; initially moderate then declining, 5%; initially mild then increasing before again declining, 8%). Factors statistically associated with not having a low symptom trajectory included mental disorder diagnoses, COVID-19-related financial distress and social and work impairment, and bushfire exposure.

conclusionOur longitudinal data enabled identification of distinct symptom trajectories during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Early intervention to ensure that vulnerable people are clinically and socially supported during a pandemic should be a priority.

Indexed as

PandemicsAdolescentAdultAnxietyAustraliaCOVID-19DepressionFemaleFinancial StressHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2Social IsolationTeleworkingAnxiety disordersCOVID-19Depressive disordersInfectious diseasesLongitudinal studiesRespiratory tract infections

Identifiers

PMID33899939
PMCPMC8207103

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Registered trials

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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.