Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A longitudinal cohort study

Laura Kenntemich; Leonie von Hülsen; Laura Eggert; Levente Kriston; Jürgen Gallinat; Ingo Schäfer; Annett Lotzin

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.131

Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

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Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany : A longitudinal cohort study. / Kenntemich, Laura; von Hülsen, Leonie; Eggert, Laura; Kriston, Levente ; Gallinat, Jürgen ; Schäfer, Ingo ; Lotzin, Annett.

In: J AFFECT DISORDERS, Vol. 355, 15.06.2024, p. 136-146.

Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Kenntemich, L, von Hülsen, L, Eggert, L, Kriston, L , Gallinat, J , Schäfer, I & Lotzin, A 2024, 'Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A longitudinal cohort study', J AFFECT DISORDERS, vol. 355, pp. 136-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.131

APA

Kenntemich, L., von Hülsen, L., Eggert, L., Kriston, L., Gallinat, J., Schäfer, I., & Lotzin, A. (2024). Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A longitudinal cohort study. J AFFECT DISORDERS, 355, 136-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.131

Vancouver

Kenntemich L, von Hülsen L, Eggert L, Kriston L , Gallinat J , Schäfer I et al. Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A longitudinal cohort study. J AFFECT DISORDERS. 2024 Jun 15;355:136-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.131

Bibtex

@article{9e387d8282ec40c487700b34793d1bf9,

title = "Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A longitudinal cohort study",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Most COVID-19-related mental health research focused on average levels of mental health parameters in the general population. However, considering heterogeneous groups and their long-term responses could deepen our understanding of mental health during community crises. This four-wave study aimed to (1) identify subgroups with different trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the German general population, and (2) investigate associated risk factors.METHODS: We analyzed self-report data from N = 1257 German adults participating in a European cohort study, assessed in summer 2020 (T1), and at 6 (T2), 12 (T3), and 30 months (T4). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the PHQ-4. Sociodemographic, health-related, and pandemic-related variables were assessed at baseline. We applied growth mixture modeling to identify subgroups of symptom trajectories and conducted multinomial logistic regression to examine factors associated with class membership.RESULTS: We identified six symptom trajectories: Low-stable (n = 971, 77.2 %), Continuous deterioration (n = 30, 2.4 %), Transient deterioration (n = 75, 6.0 %), Continuous improvement (n = 97, 7.7 %), Transient improvement (n = 38, 3.0 %) and Chronicity (n = 46, 3.7 %). Age, education, work status, mental health diagnoses, self-reported health, and pandemic-related news consumption were significantly associated with subgroup membership.LIMITATIONS: The generalizability of the study is constrained by an unrepresentative sampling method, a notable dropout rate, and limited consideration of risk factors.CONCLUSION: Most people experienced low symptoms or improvement during the pandemic, while others experienced chronic or transient symptoms. Specific risk factors were associated with these trajectories, revealing nuanced mental health dynamics.",

keywords = "Adult, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Cohort Studies, Pandemics, COVID-19/epidemiology, Germany/epidemiology, Risk Factors, Anxiety/epidemiology, Depression/epidemiology",

author = "Laura Kenntemich and {von H{\"u}lsen}, Leonie and Laura Eggert and Levente Kriston and J{\"u}rgen Gallinat and Ingo Sch{\"a}fer and Annett Lotzin",

year = "2024",

month = jun,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.131",

language = "English",

volume = "355",

pages = "136--146",

journal = "J AFFECT DISORDERS",

issn = "0165-0327",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

T2 - A longitudinal cohort study

AU - Kenntemich, Laura

AU - von Hülsen, Leonie

AU - Eggert, Laura

AU - Kriston, Levente

AU - Gallinat, Jürgen

AU - Schäfer, Ingo

AU - Lotzin, Annett

PY - 2024/6/15

Y1 - 2024/6/15

N2 - BACKGROUND: Most COVID-19-related mental health research focused on average levels of mental health parameters in the general population. However, considering heterogeneous groups and their long-term responses could deepen our understanding of mental health during community crises. This four-wave study aimed to (1) identify subgroups with different trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the German general population, and (2) investigate associated risk factors.METHODS: We analyzed self-report data from N = 1257 German adults participating in a European cohort study, assessed in summer 2020 (T1), and at 6 (T2), 12 (T3), and 30 months (T4). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the PHQ-4. Sociodemographic, health-related, and pandemic-related variables were assessed at baseline. We applied growth mixture modeling to identify subgroups of symptom trajectories and conducted multinomial logistic regression to examine factors associated with class membership.RESULTS: We identified six symptom trajectories: Low-stable (n = 971, 77.2 %), Continuous deterioration (n = 30, 2.4 %), Transient deterioration (n = 75, 6.0 %), Continuous improvement (n = 97, 7.7 %), Transient improvement (n = 38, 3.0 %) and Chronicity (n = 46, 3.7 %). Age, education, work status, mental health diagnoses, self-reported health, and pandemic-related news consumption were significantly associated with subgroup membership.LIMITATIONS: The generalizability of the study is constrained by an unrepresentative sampling method, a notable dropout rate, and limited consideration of risk factors.CONCLUSION: Most people experienced low symptoms or improvement during the pandemic, while others experienced chronic or transient symptoms. Specific risk factors were associated with these trajectories, revealing nuanced mental health dynamics.

AB - BACKGROUND: Most COVID-19-related mental health research focused on average levels of mental health parameters in the general population. However, considering heterogeneous groups and their long-term responses could deepen our understanding of mental health during community crises. This four-wave study aimed to (1) identify subgroups with different trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the German general population, and (2) investigate associated risk factors.METHODS: We analyzed self-report data from N = 1257 German adults participating in a European cohort study, assessed in summer 2020 (T1), and at 6 (T2), 12 (T3), and 30 months (T4). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the PHQ-4. Sociodemographic, health-related, and pandemic-related variables were assessed at baseline. We applied growth mixture modeling to identify subgroups of symptom trajectories and conducted multinomial logistic regression to examine factors associated with class membership.RESULTS: We identified six symptom trajectories: Low-stable (n = 971, 77.2 %), Continuous deterioration (n = 30, 2.4 %), Transient deterioration (n = 75, 6.0 %), Continuous improvement (n = 97, 7.7 %), Transient improvement (n = 38, 3.0 %) and Chronicity (n = 46, 3.7 %). Age, education, work status, mental health diagnoses, self-reported health, and pandemic-related news consumption were significantly associated with subgroup membership.LIMITATIONS: The generalizability of the study is constrained by an unrepresentative sampling method, a notable dropout rate, and limited consideration of risk factors.CONCLUSION: Most people experienced low symptoms or improvement during the pandemic, while others experienced chronic or transient symptoms. Specific risk factors were associated with these trajectories, revealing nuanced mental health dynamics.

KW - Adult

KW - Humans

KW - Longitudinal Studies

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Pandemics

KW - COVID-19/epidemiology

KW - Germany/epidemiology

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Anxiety/epidemiology

KW - Depression/epidemiology

U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.131

DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.131

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 38552918

VL - 355

SP - 136

EP - 146

JO - J AFFECT DISORDERS

JF - J AFFECT DISORDERS

SN - 0165-0327

ER -