Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Social Research Institute, University College London, 55-59 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0NU, UK.
ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health, King's College London, Melbourne House, 44-46 Aldwych, London WC2B 4LL, UK.
Psychol Med. 2023 Oct;53(13):6403-6414. doi: 10.1017/S0033291722003348. Epub 2022 Nov 8.
Research suggests that there have been inequalities in the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related non-pharmaceutical interventions on population mental health. We explored generational, sex, and socioeconomic inequalities during the first year of the pandemic using nationally representative cohorts from the UK.
We analysed data from 26772 participants from five longitudinal cohorts representing generations born between 1946 and 2000, collected in May 2020, September-October 2020, and February-March 2021 across all five cohorts. We used a multilevel growth curve modelling approach to investigate generational, sex, and socioeconomic differences in levels of anxiety and depressive symptomatology, loneliness, and life satisfaction (LS) over time.
Younger generations had worse levels of mental and social wellbeing throughout the first year of the pandemic. Whereas these generational inequalities narrowed between the first and last observation periods for LS [-0.33 (95% CI -0.51 to -0.15)], they became larger for anxiety [0.22 (0.10, 0.33)]. Generational inequalities in depression and loneliness did not change between the first and last observation periods, but initial depression levels of the youngest cohort were worse than expected if the generational inequalities had not accelerated. Women and those experiencing financial difficulties had worse initial mental and social wellbeing levels than men and those financially living comfortably, respectively, and these gaps did not substantially differ between the first and last observation periods.
By March 2021, mental and social wellbeing inequalities persisted in the UK adult population. Pre-existing generational inequalities may have been exacerbated with the pandemic onset. Policies aimed at protecting vulnerable groups are needed.
研究表明，2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行及其相关非药物干预措施对人口心理健康的影响存在不平等现象。我们使用来自英国的具有代表性的队列研究，探讨了大流行第一年的代际、性别和社会经济不平等现象。
我们分析了来自五个代表出生于 1946 年至 2000 年之间的世代的 26772 名参与者的数据，这些数据来自五个队列，分别于 2020 年 5 月、2020 年 9 月至 10 月和 2021 年 2 月至 3 月收集。我们使用多层次增长曲线模型方法，研究了焦虑和抑郁症状、孤独感和生活满意度（LS）随时间的代际、性别和社会经济差异。
在大流行的第一年，年轻一代的心理健康和社会福利水平更差。虽然 LS 的代际差距在第一和最后观察期之间缩小[-0.33（95%CI -0.51 至 -0.15）]，但焦虑症的代际差距却扩大了[0.22（0.10，0.33）]。在第一和最后观察期之间，抑郁和孤独感的代际差距没有变化，但最年轻一代的初始抑郁水平比如果代际差距没有加速的话要差。与男性相比，女性和经济困难的人在心理健康和社会福利方面的初始水平较差，而与经济上舒适的人相比，这一差距在第一和最后观察期之间没有实质性变化。
到 2021 年 3 月，英国成年人口的心理健康和社会福利不平等现象仍然存在。大流行的发生可能加剧了先前存在的代际不平等现象。需要制定政策来保护弱势群体。
