Jonikas Jessica A, Cook Judith A, Swarbrick Margaret, Nemec Patricia, Steigman Pamela J, Boss Katherine A, Brice George H
Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Wellness Institute, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Freehold, NJ, USA.
Transl Behav Med. 2021 May 25;11(5):1162-1171. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibab013.
People with behavioral health disorders may be particularly vulnerable to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet little is known about how they are faring. A mixed-methods, anonymous needs assessment was conducted to understand changes in the lives of adults with mental health and substance use disorders since the pandemic onset. A cross-sectional, online survey was completed by 272 adults in April and May 2020, recruited from statewide networks of community programs in New Jersey and New York. Measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 to screen for depressive and anxiety disorders. Also assessed was the pandemic's impact on sleep and dietary patterns, exposure to COVID-19 infection, and access to health care and medications. Finally, respondents were asked to describe in their own words any changes in their lives since the pandemic began. Over one-third (35.1%) screened positive for generalized anxiety disorder and over one-quarter (29.6%) screened positive for major depressive disorder. The majority reported pandemic-related changes in eating and sleeping patterns and exposure to COVID-19 infection. Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that many changes attributed to the pandemic were positively and significantly associated with screening positive for anxiety and depressive disorders. Qualitative analysis confirmed these findings and identified participants' resilience stemming from social support, emotion management, and self-care. These results can inform the design of services that assist this population to bolster self-management skills and reestablish daily habits to improve their lives during and following the pandemic.
患有行为健康障碍的人群可能特别容易受到新冠疫情的影响，但人们对他们的情况却知之甚少。为了解自疫情爆发以来患有精神健康和物质使用障碍的成年人生活中的变化，开展了一项混合方法的匿名需求评估。2020年4月和5月，从新泽西州和纽约州的全州社区项目网络中招募了272名成年人，他们完成了一项横断面在线调查。测量方法包括使用患者健康问卷-2和广泛性焦虑症问卷-2来筛查抑郁和焦虑障碍。还评估了疫情对睡眠和饮食模式、接触新冠病毒感染、获得医疗保健和药物的影响。最后，要求受访者用自己的话描述自疫情开始以来他们生活中的任何变化。超过三分之一（35.1%）的人广泛性焦虑症筛查呈阳性，超过四分之一（29.6%）的人重度抑郁症筛查呈阳性。大多数人报告了与疫情相关的饮食和睡眠模式变化以及接触新冠病毒感染的情况。多变量逻辑回归分析发现，许多归因于疫情的变化与焦虑和抑郁障碍筛查呈阳性呈正相关且具有显著相关性。定性分析证实了这些发现，并确定了参与者来自社会支持、情绪管理和自我护理的复原力。这些结果可为服务设计提供参考，以帮助这一人群增强自我管理技能，重新建立日常习惯，从而在疫情期间及之后改善他们的生活。
