Increases in depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

TLDR

The COVID‑19 pandemic has introduced unprecedented life changes and stress, especially for adolescents and young adults, and early reports indicate heightened depression and anxiety, though within‑person changes had not been examined. The study aimed to examine how depression and anxiety symptoms changed from before the pandemic to shortly after its peak in Spring 2020 among 451 adolescents and young adults in Long Island, New York. Researchers conducted a longitudinal assessment, measuring depression with the Children’s Depression Inventory and anxiety with the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Symptoms between December 2014 and July 2019, then re‑assessing the same participants between March 27 and May 15 2020 alongside COVID‑19 experience data. Results showed that depression and anxiety symptoms increased during the early pandemic, with generalized and social anxiety rising for all participants and additional increases in depression and panic/somatic symptoms among females; school‑related concerns predicted higher depression, while home‑confinement concerns predicted higher generalized anxiety and lower social anxiety, highlighting the pandemic’s broad adverse effects on youth mental health.

Abstract

Abstract Background The coronavirus [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] pandemic has introduced extraordinary life changes and stress, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Initial reports suggest that depression and anxiety are elevated during COVID-19, but no prior study has explored changes at the within -person level. The current study explored changes in depression and anxiety symptoms from before the pandemic to soon after it first peaked in Spring 2020 in a sample of adolescents and young adults ( N = 451) living in Long Island, New York, an early epicenter of COVID-19 in the U.S. Methods Depression (Children's Depression Inventory) and anxiety symptoms (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Symptoms) were assessed between December 2014 and July 2019, and, along with COVID-19 experiences, symptoms were re-assessed between March 27th and May 15th, 2020. Results Across participants and independent of age, there were increased generalized anxiety and social anxiety symptoms. In females, there were also increased depression and panic/somatic symptoms. Multivariable linear regression indicated that greater COVID-19 school concerns were uniquely associated with increased depression symptoms. Greater COVID-19 home confinement concerns were uniquely associated with increased generalized anxiety symptoms, and decreased social anxiety symptoms, respectively. Conclusions Adolescents and young adults at an early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. experienced increased depression and anxiety symptoms, particularly amongst females. School and home confinement concerns related to the pandemic were independently associated with changes in symptoms. Overall, this report suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic is having multifarious adverse effects on the mental health of youth.