ArticleJournal of affective disorders2021
Distress in the time of COVID-19: Understanding the distinction between COVID-19 specific mental distress and depression among United States adults.
Article in Journal of affective disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Facing the pandemic amidst mental health challenges: A longitudinal study of Black and Latino public housing residents.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Article
- Increased reproductive tract infections among secondary school girls during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations with pandemic-related stress, mental health, and domestic safety.Sexual medicine · 2024Article
- Increased reproductive tract infections among secondary school girls during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations with pandemic related stress, mental health, and domestic safety.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have experienced mental distress, which may be partially characterized by a rise in mental illnesses. However, COVID-19 specific psychological distress may also be separate from diagnosable conditions, a distinction that has not been well established in the context of the pandemic.
methodsData came from an online survey of US adults collected in March 2020. We used factor analysis to assess the relationship between COVID-19 related mental distress and depressive symptoms. Using four questions on psychological distress modified for COVID-19 and eight depressive symptoms, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the factor structure and then estimated a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
resultsThe EFA model indicated a two-factor solution, where the COVID-19 distress items loaded onto the first factor and depression items loaded onto the second. Only two items cross-loaded between factors: feeling fearful and being bothered by things that do not usually bother the participant. The CFA indicated that this factor structure fit the data adequately (RMSEA=0.106, SRMR=0.046, CFI=0.915, TLI=0.890). LIMITATIONS: It is possible that there are additional important symptoms of COVID-19 distress that were not included. Depression symptoms were measured via the CES-D-10, which while validated is not equivalent to a clinician diagnosis.
conclusionsAs COVID-19 related mental distress appears to be distinct from, though related to, depression, public health responses must consider what aspects of depression treatment may apply to this phenomenon. For COVID-related distress, it may be more appropriate to treat symptomatically and with supportive psychotherapy.
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