Effects of COVID-19-related worry and rumination on mental health and loneliness during the pandemic: longitudinal analyses of adults in the UK COVID-19 mental health & wellbeing study.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Informa Healthcare Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9212352 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1360-0567 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09638237 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Ment Health Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: London : Informa Healthcare
      Original Publication: Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK : Carfax Pub. Co., [1992-
    • Subject Terms:
      COVID-19*; Adult ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Pandemics ; Loneliness ; Communicable Disease Control ; Anxiety/epidemiology ; Anxiety/psychology ; United Kingdom/epidemiology ; Depression/epidemiology ; Depression/psychology
    • Abstract:
      Background: The lasting effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic are likely to be significant.
      Aims: This study tracked worry and rumination levels during the pandemic and investigated whether periods with higher COVID-related worry and rumination were associated with more negative mental health and loneliness.
      Methods: A quota survey design and a sampling frame that permitted recruitment of a national sample were employed. Findings for waves 1 (March 2020) to 6 (November 2020) are reported ( N  = 1943).
      Results: Covid-related worry and rumination levels were highest at the beginning of the first lockdown, then declined but increased when the UK returned to lockdown. Worry levels were higher than rumination levels throughout. High levels of COVID-related worry and rumination were associated with a five- and ten-fold increase in clinically meaningful rates of depression and anxiety (respectively) together with lower well-being and higher loneliness. The effects of COVID-related worry on depression and anxiety levels were most marked and clinically meaningful in individuals living with a pre-existing mental health condition.
      Conclusions: Psychological interventions should include components that specifically target COVID-related worry and rumination. Individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions should be prioritised as we emerge from the current pandemic and in any future public health crises.
    • Grant Information:
      MR/R024774/1 United Kingdom MRC_ Medical Research Council
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Wellbeing; anxiety; depression; inequalities; perseverative cognition; repetitive thought
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20220517 Date Completed: 20231207 Latest Revision: 20240320
    • Publication Date:
      20240320
    • Accession Number:
      10.1080/09638237.2022.2069716
    • Accession Number:
      35579054