Ebrahimi Omid V, Hoffart Asle, Johnson Sverre Urnes
Modum Bad Psychiatric Hospital, Vikersund, Norway.
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, Harald Schjelderups hus, 0373 Oslo, Norway.
Curr Psychol. 2022 Feb 4:1-18. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-02732-9.
With the fluctuations in anxious and depressive symptomatology accompanied by the pandemic crises, studies on the trajectories of these symptom domains are warranted to monitor the development of mental health problems in the population. This pre-registered longitudinal study examines stable factors and mechanistic processes covarying with the trajectory of anxiety and depressive symptoms using linear-mixed effects models in 4936 adults from the pandemic's onset to four months into the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway. Prevalence estimates of moderate to severe levels of clinically impairing symptoms of anxiety and depression revealed high but reduced occurrence four months into the pandemic where social distancing protocols were substantially lightened in severity, revealing associations between symptoms and viral mitigation protocols after stringent control of plausible confounders. Subgroups at risk at the onset of the pandemic sustained their relative position compared to their counterparts four months into the pandemic, indicating prolonged suffering of these subgroups. Among mechanistic processes, key differences were identified regarding the trajectory of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Physical exercise was associated with long-term but not momentaneous alleviations in anxiety. In contrast, reductions in depressive symptoms were associated with both the simultaneous exertion as well as dose-increases in exercise over time. Increased knowledge about how to best cope with pandemic challenges was associated with greater improvement in depressive but not anxiety symptoms. Reductions in maladaptive coping strategies and negative metacognitive beliefs was substantially associated with greater improvement of both anxious and depressive symptomatology. Mechanistic processes divergently relate to the trajectory of depressive and anxious symptomatology, yielding domain-specific information of utility for preventive and interventive efforts aimed at impeding deleterious symptom levels.
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-02732-9.
随着大流行危机伴随的焦虑和抑郁症状的波动，有必要对这些症状领域的轨迹进行研究，以监测人群心理健康问题的发展。这项预先注册的纵向研究使用线性混合效应模型，在挪威4936名成年人中，从大流行开始到新冠疫情爆发四个月，研究与焦虑和抑郁症状轨迹共同变化的稳定因素和机制过程。对中度至重度临床损害性焦虑和抑郁症状的患病率估计显示，在疫情爆发四个月时，此类症状的发生率很高但有所下降，此时社交距离措施的严格程度大幅减轻，在严格控制了可能的混杂因素后，揭示了症状与病毒缓解措施之间的关联。在大流行开始时处于风险中的亚组与疫情爆发四个月后的对应亚组相比，保持了他们的相对位置，这表明这些亚组的痛苦持续时间更长。在机制过程方面，焦虑和抑郁症状的轨迹存在关键差异。体育锻炼与焦虑的长期缓解有关，但与即时缓解无关。相比之下，抑郁症状的减轻与锻炼的同时进行以及随着时间推移锻炼剂量的增加都有关。对如何最好地应对大流行挑战的了解增加与抑郁症状而非焦虑症状的更大改善有关。适应不良应对策略和消极元认知信念的减少与焦虑和抑郁症状的更大改善密切相关。机制过程与抑郁和焦虑症状的轨迹有不同的关系，产生了针对旨在阻止有害症状水平的预防和干预措施的特定领域有用信息。
在线版本包含可在10.1007/s12144-022-02732-9获取的补充材料。
