Summary: During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many adults reported increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear, psychological trauma, and suicidal thoughts.
Source: University of Arkansas
New research from University of Arkansas sociologists finds that the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak were associated with a measurable rise in depression, anxiety, suicidal risk, and trauma-related symptoms among U.S. adults.
The findings derive from a national online survey conducted in the last week of March 2020 that included 10,368 adults. The research team—led by Kevin Fitzpatrick, University Professor of sociology, along with Casey Harris and Grant Drawve—analyzed how fear of the virus, social vulnerability, and other stressors related to mental health outcomes as the pandemic unfolded nationwide.
“Fear consistently predicted worse outcomes,” Fitzpatrick said. “Across our analyses, fear combined with social vulnerabilities to produce significant increases in depressive symptoms, trauma responses, and suicidal risk. We also found that individual fear tended to be higher in communities with more confirmed COVID-19 cases and higher death rates.”
One study, published in the journal Anxiety and Depression, focused on depressive symptoms. On a widely used depression screening scale, average scores among respondents were about one point above the clinical cutoff for concern, and nearly one in three respondents scored substantially above that threshold. Elevated depressive symptoms were particularly evident among socially vulnerable groups, including women, Hispanic respondents, people who were unemployed, and those experiencing moderate to high food insecurity.
A second paper, appearing in Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, examined suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The researchers categorized approximately 15 percent of respondents as high risk for suicide based on standard screening measures. Higher risk scores were more common among Black, Native American, and Hispanic respondents, families with children, unmarried adults, and younger people. The study also found that additional stressors—such as food insecurity and physical health symptoms—amplified suicide risk, while available personal and social resources lowered it.
The third study, published in Psychological Trauma, explored fear of COVID-19 and its mental health consequences. On a 1-to-10 scale, the average reported fear level was seven, indicating substantial concern among respondents early in the pandemic. Fear and its mental health impacts were not evenly distributed: they were concentrated in areas with higher COVID-19 caseloads and among groups already facing social and economic disadvantages.
All three papers are an early effort to document the sociological and psychological effects of the pandemic. The survey was funded by the National Science Foundation and captured a snapshot of mental health indicators in March 2020, a time when the U.S. response and the public’s experience of the virus were rapidly evolving. While conditions have changed since that snapshot, the results underscore the need to monitor and address the pandemic’s mental health fallout.
“This should be a teaching moment,” Fitzpatrick said. “Events like this can recur, and we need to be prepared. Science must guide policy, with special attention to identifying and protecting the most vulnerable populations so we can mitigate harm in future crises.”
About this psychology research article
Source:
University of Arkansas
Media Contacts:
Bob Whitby – University of Arkansas
Image Source:
The image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Open access
“How bad is it? Suicidality in the middle of the COVID‐19 pandemic” by Kevin M. Fitzpatrick, Casey Harris, Grant Drawve. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12655.
Abstract
How bad is it? Suicidality in the middle of the COVID‐19 pandemic
Objective
This paper examines how social vulnerability, personal risk factors, and social/psychological resources intersect with adult suicidality during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Method
Researchers used a national online sample of 10,368 U.S. adults surveyed in the third week of March 2020. Data were post‑stratified and weighted to reflect the U.S. population by age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, and geography.
Results
Nearly 15 percent of respondents scored 7 or higher on the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire‑Revised (SBQ‑R), a level classified as high risk. Higher SBQ‑R scores were observed among Black, Native American, and Hispanic respondents, families with children, unmarried adults, and younger participants (p < .000). Regression analyses showed that risk factors—food insecurity, physical symptoms, and depressive symptomatology—were positively and significantly associated with suicidality (p < .000), while resource measures were significantly and negatively associated (p < .000).
Conclusions
These findings provide early evidence of the pandemic’s impact on mental health across the U.S. population. The authors warn that practitioners and policymakers should prepare for substantial and lasting mental health consequences in the months and years ahead and prioritize support for vulnerable groups.