ArticleSocial science & medicine (1982)2021
Health behaviors and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal population-based survey in Germany.
Article in Social science & medicine (1982), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 85 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
85 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic Period in the European Population: An Institutional Challenge.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Aging in rural communities: Engagement in indoor leisure activities and older adult health.PloS one · 2025Trial
- Longitudinal changes in physical activity during and after the first national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England.Scientific reports · 2021Trial
- Factors Associated with the Odds, Duration, and Costs of Health-Related Absenteeism: A Population-Based Study in São Paulo City, Brazil.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Factors associated with contraceptive use among reproductive-age women during a pandemic: Evidence from a small developing state.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Dynamics of psychological distress: understanding the impact of intraindividual and interindividual factors in the Belgian population during the COVID-19 pandemic-a multilevel prospective cohort study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Mental Health Issues and 24-Hour Movement Guidelines-Based Intervention Strategies for University Students With High-Risk Social Network Addiction: Cross-Sectional Study Using a Machine Learning Approach.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Violence experienced by women, their mental health status, and determinants in favelas under the pandemic COVID-19 in Brazil.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Everyday Life and Healthcare of Patients with Congenital Heart Defects: Insights from Pandemic Onset to One Year Later.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Loneliness and Distress in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of German University Students.Clinical psychology in Europe · 2025Article
- [The COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: mental health trajectories, resilient and vulnerable groups].Der Nervenarzt · 2025Review
- Predicting Weight Control Intentions: An Extended Model of Goal-Directed Behavior.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Examination of factors associated with physical activity among medical students pre and post-COVID-19 in Serbia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Unexpected effects of pandemic-related changes on mental health: Evidence from a nationwide survey in South Korea.PloS one · 2025Article
- Unraveling the after-hours dilemma: Consequences of overworking among teleworkers-A scoping review protocol.PloS one · 2025Article
- One-year post lockdown trajectories of mental health and impact of COVID-19 lockdown-related factors.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Physical activity: the key to life satisfaction - correlations between physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and life satisfaction among young adults before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic waves on adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in the Dutch general population: a population-based longitudinal cohort study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Predicting Depressive Symptoms Using GPS-Based Regional Data in Germany With the CORONA HEALTH App During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study.Interactive journal of medical research · 2024Article
25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo understand the mental health response to repeated and prolonged stress during the COVID-19 related lockdown and the role of specific health behaviors to buffer against this stress.
methodsIn a longitudinal study with several measurement points covering three months during the COVID-19 pandemic, about 3500 randomly selected participants representative of the German population reported on their mental health (anxiety, depression, loneliness) and health behaviors (screen time, snack consumption, physical activity).
resultsSymptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness were highest shortly after the lockdown came into effect. Over time, the symptoms were stable or went down slightly, corresponding to patterns of habituation. Among people with higher vulnerability to poor mental health during the lockdown (e.g., women), the proportion with high levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness was considerably larger. These groups also reported fewer health-promoting behaviors. More screen time, more snacking, and less physical activity were related to higher symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness across all time points. Changes in health behaviors over time mostly did not predict changes in mental health symptoms.
conclusionsMental health and engagement in protective health behaviors was lowest at the start of the lockdown. Health behaviors mostly returned to pre-lockdown levels within three months. Engaging in healthier behaviors was associated with better mental health. Policy implications of these findings are discussed. This study provides important insights into (unintended) side effects of an international crisis and can contribute to a better understanding of how to preserve mental health.
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