Weiss Daniel, Lowenstein Christopher, Sund Erik Reidar, Vethe Daniel, Krokstad Steinar
Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Levanger, Norway
Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, 7600 Levanger, Norway.
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2025 Feb 10;79(3):165-168. doi: 10.1136/jech-2024-222626.
The purpose of this report is to examine to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic affected pre-existing trends in mental health, with a focus on subgroup differences across age, gender and socioeconomic status.
Our analysis uses data from two survey periods (HUNT4: 2017-2019 and HUNT-COVID: 2021-2023) from the Trøndelag Health Study in Norway. We estimate overall and stratified (by age, sex and educational attainment) prevalence values for above-threshold (≥8) anxiety and depression scores using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. For each outcome, we compare prevalences between HUNT-4 and HUNT-Covid within each subgroup.
Above-threshold levels of anxiety were higher among women than men, while the opposite was true for depression. Symptoms generally decrease with age. Between HUNT4 and HUNT-COVID, for both women and men, anxiety symptoms decreased (except among women between 18-29 and 30-39) while depression symptoms increased (except for individuals over 80). Anxiety symptoms decreased across education levels between HUNT4 and HUNT-COVID while depression symptoms increased across education levels.
The findings illustrate the negative long-term effects of a shock such as a pandemic while also illustrating the potential positive effects of generous welfare benefits on inequalities in mental health.
本报告旨在研究新冠疫情在多大程度上影响了心理健康的既有趋势，重点关注年龄、性别和社会经济地位方面的亚组差异。
我们的分析使用了挪威特隆赫姆郡健康研究（HUNT）的两个调查阶段的数据（HUNT4：2017 - 2019年和HUNT - COVID：2021 - 2023年）。我们使用医院焦虑抑郁量表（Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale）估算焦虑和抑郁得分高于阈值（≥8）的总体患病率以及按年龄、性别和教育程度分层的患病率。对于每个结果，我们比较了每个亚组中HUNT - 4和HUNT - COVID之间的患病率。
焦虑得分高于阈值的水平女性高于男性，而抑郁情况则相反。症状通常随年龄增长而减轻。在HUNT4和HUNT - COVID之间，无论男性还是女性，焦虑症状均有所下降（18 - 29岁和30 - 39岁女性除外），而抑郁症状有所增加（80岁以上个体除外）。在HUNT4和HUNT - COVID之间，焦虑症状在各教育水平上均有所下降，而抑郁症状在各教育水平上均有所增加。
研究结果说明了疫情等冲击带来的长期负面影响，同时也说明了慷慨的福利对心理健康不平等现象的潜在积极影响。
