The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on mental health, contributing to an increase in persistent and elevated depression across the United States.
In a new study from Boston University, researchers found individuals with high assets may be shielded from the burden of persistent depression.
They found that 1 in 5 adults experienced persistent depression during the pandemic, but those who had access to more physical, social, or financial assets—particularly higher incomes and more savings—were less likely to experience sustained depressive symptoms.
The findings also showed that job loss, financial difficulties, or relationship problems were important predictors of depression in the first year of the pandemic.
In the study, the team analyzed survey data on depression prevalence, assets, and stressors among a nationally representative sample of US adults ages 18 and over.
Approximately 25 percent of women reported symptoms of persistent depression at the beginning and end of the first year of COVID-19, compared to 15 percent of men.
and adults ages 18 to 39 experienced persistent depression more than any other adult age group during this time period.
Persistent depression was highest among people in low-income households and those with fewer savings.
The team also found people with a household income under $20,000 were more likely to experience persistent depression than those with household incomes of $75,000 or more.
Similarly, people with fewer than $5,000 in savings were more likely to experience sustained depression than those with savings of $5,000 or more.
Among social assets, people who earned only a high school degree were more likely to experience depression than those who earned a college degree or more, and those who were not married were more likely to experience depression those who were married.
Notably, the researchers found that these assets did not prevent people from experiencing persistent depression after the first year of the pandemic if they still struggled with job loss, financial difficulties, or relationship issues.
But absent of these stressors, having assets substantially reduced the likelihood of an individual experiencing persistent depression in March or April 2021.
The team says identifying ways to bolster financial assets and reduce stressors among people experiencing mental health challenges will be critical beyond the pandemic.
If you care about depression, please read studies that taking this depression drug too much can temporarily shut down the brain, and this sound wave therapy may help treat depression, anxiety.
For more information about Covid, please see recent studies about depression drug that could save COVID-19 patients, and results showing scientists find existing drugs that can kill COVID-19 virus.
The study is published in the journal Science Advances and was conducted by Catherine Ettman et al.
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