IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i13p6218-d1178265.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Social Connectedness and Psychological Distress in U.S. Adults with Chronic Diseases

Author

Listed:
  • Ben King

    (Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
    Humana Integrated Health Systems Sciences Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA)

  • Omolola E. Adepoju

    (Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
    Humana Integrated Health Systems Sciences Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA)

  • LeChauncy Woodard

    (Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
    Humana Integrated Health Systems Sciences Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA)

  • Abiodun O. Oluyomi

    (Section of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Xiaotao Zhang

    (Institute for Translational Epidemiology & Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA)

  • Christopher I. Amos

    (Section of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Hoda Badr

    (Section of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

Abstract

Lockdown measures enacted in 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19 led to increases in the prevalence of mental health problems. Due to their high-risk status, individuals with chronic diseases may be at increased risk and disproportionately adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigators examined associations between having a high-risk chronic condition, social connectedness, and general distress and COVID-19-specific distress among U.S. adults during the COVID-19 lockdown. Baseline measures of a longitudinal survey collected at the beginning of the pandemic (April to June 2020) were analyzed to identify factors associated with loss of social connectedness from pre- to post-lockdown. The associations between social connectedness and both general and COVID-19-specific psychological distress were adjusted for certain high-risk chronic illnesses and interaction effects. The sample available for analysis included 1354 subjects (262 high-risk chronic diseases and 1092 without chronic illness). Those reporting the loss of social connectedness were younger (median = 39 vs. 42) and more likely to be unemployed because of the pandemic (19.4% vs. 11.0%). Adjustment for interaction demonstrated a stronger negative association between social connectedness change and the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 for those with high-risk illness(es) (change in connectedness*chronic illness OR = 0.88, 95%CI: 0.79–0.98, p = 0.020). These findings inform our understanding of the distribution and intersection of responses to public health lockdown orders in the U.S. and build further evidence of the importance of social connectedness on psychological distress.

Suggested Citation

  • Ben King & Omolola E. Adepoju & LeChauncy Woodard & Abiodun O. Oluyomi & Xiaotao Zhang & Christopher I. Amos & Hoda Badr, 2023. "The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Social Connectedness and Psychological Distress in U.S. Adults with Chronic Diseases," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:13:p:6218-:d:1178265
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/13/6218/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/13/6218/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jeff Tollefson, 2020. "Why deforestation and extinctions make pandemics more likely," Nature, Nature, vol. 584(7820), pages 175-176, August.
    2. Cuiyan Wang & Riyu Pan & Xiaoyang Wan & Yilin Tan & Linkang Xu & Cyrus S. Ho & Roger C. Ho, 2020. "Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-25, March.
    3. Katherine L. Fiori & Toni C. Antonucci & Kai S. Cortina, 2006. "Social Network Typologies and Mental Health Among Older Adults," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 61(1), pages 25-32.
    4. Hart, L.G. & Larson, E.H. & Lishner, D.M., 2005. "Rural definitions for health policy and research," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(7), pages 1149-1155.
    5. Kiran Saqib & Afaf Saqib Qureshi & Zahid Ahmad Butt, 2023. "COVID-19, Mental Health, and Chronic Illnesses: A Syndemic Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
    6. Nora A. Martínez-Vélez & Miriam Arroyo-Belmonte & Marcela Tiburcio & Guillermina Natera-Rey & Morise Fernández-Torres & Graciela Y. Sánchez-Hernández, 2023. "Psycho-Emotional Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms during Lockdown Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Mexican Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-10, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lauren G. Staples & Olav Nielssen & Blake F. Dear & Madelyne A. Bisby & Alana Fisher & Rony Kayrouz & Nickolai Titov, 2023. "Prevalence and Predictors of Long COVID in Patients Accessing a National Digital Mental Health Service," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(18), pages 1-8, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. J. Pierre Zila-Velasque & Pamela Grados-Espinoza & Naomi Coba-Villan & Jocelyn Quispe-Chamorro & Yesenia F. Taipe-Guillén & Estefany Pacheco & Laura Ccasa-Valero & Virgilio E. Failoc-Rojas & Cristian , 2022. "Mental Disorders and Level of Resilience in Eight High-Altitude Cities of Peru during the Second Pandemic Wave: A Multicenter Population-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Hee-Kyung Kim, 2022. "In the COVID-19 Era, Effects of Job Stress, Coping Strategies, Meaning in Life and Resilience on Psychological Well-Being of Women Workers in the Service Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Isabel Mercader Rubio & Pilar Sánchez-López & Nieves Gutiérrez Ángel & Nieves Fátima Oropesa Ruiz, 2022. "Psychological Consequences of Fear of COVID-19: Symptom Analysis of Triggered Anxiety and Depression Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-8, October.
    4. Diego García-Álvarez & María José Soler & Rubia Cobo-Rendón & Juan Hernández-Lalinde, 2023. "Teacher Professional Development, Character Education, and Well-Being: Multicomponent Intervention Based on Positive Psychology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Jieya Yang & Ayberk Kocatepe & Onur Alisan & Eren Erman Ozguven, 2024. "Geographical Information Systems-Based Assessment of Evacuation Accessibility to Special Needs Shelters Comparing Storm Surge Impacts of Hurricane Irma (2017) and Ian (2022)," Geographies, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-16, December.
    6. Isabela Silva & Adriana Lúcia Meireles & Carolina Martins dos Santos Chagas & Clareci Silva Cardoso & Helian Nunes de Oliveira & Eulilian Dias de Freitas & Fernanda de Carvalho Vidigal & Luciana Neri , 2025. "Emotional Eating and Its Relationship with Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Study in College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(3), pages 1-17, February.
    7. S. Brent Jackson & Kathryn T. Stevenson & Lincoln R. Larson & M. Nils Peterson & Erin Seekamp, 2021. "Outdoor Activity Participation Improves Adolescents’ Mental Health and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, March.
    8. Piotr Długosz & Damian Liszka & Anastasiia Bastrakova & Luydmila Yuzva, 2022. "Health Problems of Students during Distance Learning in Central and Eastern Europe: A Cross-Sectional Study of Poland and Ukraine," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-16, August.
    9. Yuchen Lu, 2024. "Uncovering the Barriers to Foreign Residents' Enrollment in Japan's National Health Insurance: An Econometric Analysis Using Pooled Cross-Sectional Data," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2024-026, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    10. Teixeira, João Filipe & Silva, Cecília & Moura e Sá, Frederico, 2023. "Factors influencing modal shift to bike sharing: Evidence from a travel survey conducted during COVID-19," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    11. Artem Kashtanov & Ekaterina Molotok & Andrey Yavorovskiy & Alexander Boyarkov & Yuriy Vasil’ev & Ali Alsaegh & Sergey Dydykin & Olesya Kytko & Renata Meylanova & Yulianna Enina & Vasiliy Troitskiy & M, 2022. "A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study Assessing the Psycho-Emotional State of Intensive Care Units’ Physicians and Nurses of COVID-19 Hospitals of a Russian Metropolis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-22, February.
    12. Federica Bianco & Annalisa Levante & Serena Petrocchi & Flavia Lecciso & Ilaria Castelli, 2021. "Maternal Psychological Distress and Children’s Internalizing/Externalizing Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role Played by Hypermentalization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-15, October.
    13. Jing Guo & Xing Lin Feng & Xiao Hua Wang & Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, 2020. "Coping with COVID-19: Exposure to COVID-19 and Negative Impact on Livelihood Predict Elevated Mental Health Problems in Chinese Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-18, May.
    14. Liping Ye & Xinping Zhang, 2021. "The association mechanism between social network types and health‐related behaviours among the elderly in rural Hubei Province, China," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3), pages 826-846, May.
    15. Rocío Lavigne-Cervan & Borja Costa-López & Rocío Juárez-Ruiz de Mier & Marta Sánchez-Muñoz de León & Marta Real-Fernández & Ignasi Navarro-Soria, 2021. "Implications of the Online Teaching Model Derived from the COVID-19 Lockdown Situation for Anxiety and Executive Functioning in Spanish Children and Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-15, October.
    16. Wasiq Khan & Bilal M. Khan & Salwa Yasen & Ahmed Al-Dahiri & Dhiya Al-Jumeily & Khalil Dajani & Abir Hussain, 2022. "COVID-19 Vaccination and Mental Stress within Diverse Sociodemographic Groups," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-19, October.
    17. Sabrina Bonichini & Marta Tremolada, 2021. "Quality of Life and Symptoms of PTSD during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-11, April.
    18. Fei Qin & Yiqing Song & George P Nassis & Lina Zhao & Yanan Dong & Cuicui Zhao & Yiwei Feng & Jiexiu Zhao, 2020. "Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Emotional Well-Being during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-16, July.
    19. Ankica Kosic & Tamara Džamonja Ignjatović & Nebojša Petrović, 2021. "A Cross-Cultural Study of Distress during COVID-19 Pandemic: Some Protective and Risk Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-15, July.
    20. Shunying Zhao & Qiang Yang & Hohjin Im & Baojuan Ye & Yadi Zeng & Zhinan Chen & Lu Liu & Dawu Huang, 2022. "The impulsive online shopper: effects of COVID-19 burnout, uncertainty, self-control, and online shopping trust," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-15, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:13:p:6218-:d:1178265. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.