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Associations between dimensions of behaviour, personality traits, and mental-health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom

Author

Listed:
  • Adam Hampshire

    (Imperial College London)

  • Peter J. Hellyer

    (Imperial College London
    King’s College London)

  • Eyal Soreq

    (Imperial College London)

  • Mitul A. Mehta

    (King’s College London)

  • Konstantinos Ioannidis

    (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
    University of Cambridge)

  • William Trender

    (Imperial College London)

  • Jon E. Grant

    (University of Chicago)

  • Samuel R. Chamberlain

    (University of Southampton
    Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic (including lockdown) is likely to have had profound but diverse implications for mental health and well-being, yet little is known about individual experiences of the pandemic (positive and negative) and how this relates to mental health and well-being, as well as other important contextual variables. Here, we analyse data sampled in a large-scale manner from 379,875 people in the United Kingdom (UK) during 2020 to identify population variables associated with mood and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to investigate self-perceived pandemic impact in relation to those variables. We report that while there are relatively small population-level differences in mood assessment scores pre- to peak-UK lockdown, the size of the differences is larger for people from specific groups, e.g. older adults and people with lower incomes. Multiple dimensions underlie peoples’ perceptions, both positive and negative, of the pandemic’s impact on daily life. These dimensions explain variance in mental health and can be statistically predicted from age, demographics, home and work circumstances, pre-existing conditions, maladaptive technology use and personality traits (e.g., compulsivity). We conclude that a holistic view, incorporating the broad range of relevant population factors, can better characterise people whose mental health is most at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Hampshire & Peter J. Hellyer & Eyal Soreq & Mitul A. Mehta & Konstantinos Ioannidis & William Trender & Jon E. Grant & Samuel R. Chamberlain, 2021. "Associations between dimensions of behaviour, personality traits, and mental-health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24365-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24365-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Wilson, Jessica & Demou, Evangelia & Kromydas, Theocharis, 2024. "COVID-19 lockdowns and working women's mental health: Does motherhood and size of workplace matter? A comparative analysis using understanding society," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    2. Francesco Bogliacino & Cristiano Codagnone & Frans Folkvord & Francisco Lupiáñez-Villanueva, 2023. "The impact of labour market shocks on mental health: evidence from the Covid-19 first wave," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 40(3), pages 899-930, October.
    3. Zhang, Lixia & Li, Shaoting & Ren, Yanjun, 2024. "Does internet use benefit the mental health of older adults? Empirical evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 10(3), pages 1-15.

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