Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34706410›Full record

ArticleJournal of affective disorders2021

Trajectories of change in internalizing symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal population-based study.

Philip Hyland, Frédérique Vallières, Michael Daly, Sarah Butter, Richard P Bentall, Robert Fox, Thanos Karatzias, Malcolm MacLachlan, Orla McBride, Jamie Murphy and 3 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

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 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 7% 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

18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

13 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.

Philip HylandDepartment of Psychology, Maynooth University, Room 1.1.4 Education House, Kildare, Ireland; Trinity Center for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: philip.hyland@mu.ie.
Frédérique VallièresTrinity Center for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Michael DalyDepartment of Psychology, Maynooth University, Room 1.1.4 Education House, Kildare, Ireland.
Sarah ButterDepartment of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Richard P BentallDepartment of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Robert FoxSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Ireland.
Thanos KaratziasSchool of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, United Kingdom; Rivers Center for Traumatic Stress, NHS Lothian, United Kingdom.
Malcolm MacLachlanDepartment of Psychology, Maynooth University, Room 1.1.4 Education House, Kildare, Ireland; HSE National Clinical Programme for People with Disability, Ireland.
Orla McBrideSchool of Psychology, Ulster University, United Kingdom.
Jamie MurphySchool of Psychology, Ulster University, United Kingdom.
David MurphyTrinity Center for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Eric SpikolDepartment of Psychology, Maynooth University, Room 1.1.4 Education House, Kildare, Ireland.
Mark ShevlinSchool of Psychology, Ulster University, United Kingdom.
National University of Ireland, Maynooth · IEUniversity of Ulster · GBTrinity College Dublin · IEUniversity of Sheffield · GBNHS Lothian · GBUniversity College Dublin · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLongitudinal data indicates that the mental health of the general population may not have been as badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as some had feared. Most studies examining change in mental health during the pandemic have assumed population homogeneity which may conceal evidence of worsening mental health for some. In this study, we applied a heterogeneous perspective to determine if there were distinct groups in the population characterised by different patterns of change in internalizing symptoms during the pandemic.

methodsSelf-report data were collected from a nationally representative sample of Irish adults (N = 1041) at four time-points between April and December 2020.

resultsIn the entire sample, mean levels of internalizing symptoms significantly declined from March to December 2020. However, we identified four distinct groups with different patterns of change. The most common response was 'Resilience' (66.7%), followed by 'Improving' (17.9%), 'Worsening' (11.3%), and 'Sustained' (4.1%). Belonging to the 'Worsening' class was associated with younger age, city dwelling, current and past treatment for a mental health problem, higher levels of empathy, and higher levels of loneliness. LIMITATIONS: Sample attrition was relatively high and although this was managed using robust statistical methods, bias associated with non-responses cannot be entirely ruled out.

conclusionThe majority of adults experienced no change, or an improvement in internalizing symptoms during the pandemic, and a relatively small proportion of adults experienced a worsening of internalizing symptoms. Limited public mental health resources should be targeted toward helping these at-risk individuals.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsAdultDepressionHumansSARS-CoV-2Self ReportAnxietyCovid-19DepressionInternalizingLongitudinalMental health

Identifiers

PMID34706410
PMCPMC8413484
OpenAlexW3162448163

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.