ArticleJournal of epidemiology and community health2021
Time trend analysis of social inequalities in psychological distress among young adults before and during the pandemic: evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study COVID-19 waves.
Article in Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed.
- Tracing pathways: the impact of the polycrisis on mental health trajectories in emerging adulthood.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Finding Peace in Pixels: Exploring the Therapeutic Mechanisms of Virtual Nature for Young Adults' Mental Well-Being.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Understanding the interplay between social isolation, age, and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Article
- Qualitative study of the feasibility and acceptability of implementation, and potential mechanisms of Learning Together for Mental Health, a whole-school intervention aiming to promote mental health and wellbeing in secondary schools.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2024Article
- Trends in health inequalities in childhood and adolescence in Germany: Results of the HBSC study 2009/10 - 2022.Journal of health monitoring · 2024Article
- Remote working and experiential wellbeing: A latent lifestyle perspective using UK time use survey before and during COVID-19.PloS one · 2024Article
- A national multiple baseline cohort study of mental health conditions in early adolescence and subsequent educational outcomes in New Zealand.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Trends in psychological distress in Great Britain, 1991-2019: evidence from three representative surveys.Journal of epidemiology and community health · 2023Article
- Mental health inequalities during the second COVID-19 wave among Millennials who grew up in England: Evidence from the Next Steps cohort study.Journal of affective disorders · 2023Article
- Parenthood and psychological distress among English Millennials during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from the Next Steps cohort study.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2023Article
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- Article
- Aggressive measures, rising inequalities, and mass formation during the COVID-19 crisis: An overview and proposed way forward.Frontiers in public health · 2022Review
- Social Inequalities in Young People's Mental Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Do Psychosocial Resource Factors Matter?Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundDespite concerns about mental health problems among those aged 16-24 in England, which social groups have been most at risk, both over the past decade and during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains unclear.
methodsWe examined trends in psychological distress among young adults 16-24 years old in England using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Using longitudinal data as repeated cross-sectional waves, we examined differences over time in mean General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) scores from wave 1 (2009-2010) to wave 10 (2018-2019) and six COVID-19 waves collected between April and November 2020, by economic activity, cohabitation with parents, parental education, area deprivation, ethnicity, age and sex.
resultsCompared with 2009-2010, increases in GHQ scores in 2018-2019 were higher in women than men (2.1 vs 1.3), those aged 16-18 than aged 22-24 (2.6 vs 0.9), those from white UK group versus other ethnic minorities, and those out of the labour force (3.6) or employed part time (2.2) than those employed full time (0.8). Compared with 2018-2019, psychological distress in 2020 also further increased among young adults residing in the most deprived areas (4.1 vs 1.2 in the least deprived areas). In 2020, losing one's job or most of one's work hours was associated with higher psychological distress and attenuated the differences between deprivation quartiles by 17%.
conclusionIn England, inequalities in psychological distress among young adults may have changed and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Investing in opportunities for young adults, particularly in more deprived areas, may be key to improve population levels of mental health.
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