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The effects of the pandemic on mental health in persons with and without a psychiatric history

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2021

Eleanor Murphy ,
Connie Svob ,
Milenna Van Dijk ,
Marc J. Gameroff ,
Jamie Skipper ,
Eyal Abraham ,
Tenzin Yangchen ,
Jonathan Posner ,
Stewart A. Shankman  and
Priya J. Wickramaratne
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Eleanor Murphy
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Connie Svob
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Milenna Van Dijk
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Marc J. Gameroff
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Jamie Skipper
Affiliation:
Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Eyal Abraham
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Tenzin Yangchen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Jonathan Posner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Stewart A. Shankman
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
Priya J. Wickramaratne
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Myrna M. Weissman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Ardesheer Talati*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Ardesheer Talati, E-mail: adi.talati@nyspi.columbia.edu
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Abstract

Background

Prospective studies are needed to assess the influence of pre-pandemic risk factors on mental health outcomes following the COVID-19 pandemic. From direct interviews prior to (T1), and then in the same individuals after the pandemic onset (T2), we assessed the influence of personal psychiatric history on changes in symptoms and wellbeing.

Methods

Two hundred and four (19–69 years/117 female) individuals from a multigenerational family study were followed clinically up to T1. Psychiatric symptom changes (T1-to-T2), their association with lifetime psychiatric history (no, only-past, and recent psychiatric history), and pandemic-specific worries were investigated.

Results

At T2 relative to T1, participants with recent psychopathology (in the last 2 years) had significantly fewer depressive (mean, M = 41.7 v. 47.6) and traumatic symptoms (M = 6.6 v. 8.1, p < 0.001), while those with no and only-past psychiatric history had decreased wellbeing (M = 22.6 v. 25.0, p < 0.01). Three pandemic-related worry factors were identified: Illness/death, Financial, and Social isolation. Individuals with recent psychiatric history had greater Illness/death and Financial worries than the no/only-past groups, but these worries were unrelated to depression at T2. Among individuals with no/only-past history, Illness/death worries predicted increased T2 depression [B = 0.6(0.3), p < 0.05].

Conclusions

As recent psychiatric history was not associated with increased depression or anxiety during the pandemic, new groups of previously unaffected persons might contribute to the increased pandemic-related depression and anxiety rates reported. These individuals likely represent incident cases that are first detected in primary care and other non-specialty clinical settings. Such settings may be useful for monitoring future illness among newly at-risk individuals.

Keywords

Pandemicmental healthfunctioningpre- vs post- pandemic symptomslongitudinalanxietydepression
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 53 , Issue 6 , April 2023 , pp. 2476 - 2484
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

a

First author.

b

Second and third authors, respectively.

†

Both authors are last authors who contributed equally.

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