Social isolation, mental health, and use of digital interventions in youth during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationally representative survey
Background - Public health measures to curb SARS-CoV-2 transmission rates may have negative psychosocial consequences in youth. Digital interventions may help to mitigate these effects. We investigated the associations between social isolation, COVID-19-related cognitive preoccupation, worries, and...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
09 March 2021
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| In: |
European psychiatry
Year: 2021, Volume: 64, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-16 |
| ISSN: | 1778-3585 |
| DOI: | 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.17 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.17 Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-psychiatry/article/social-isolation-mental-health-and-use-of-digital-interventions-in-youth-during-the-covid19-pandemic-a-nationally-representative-survey/FA83E17C83F714EC66D729F9140FC612 
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| Author Notes: | Christian Rauschenberg, Anita Schick, Christian Goetzl, Susanne Roehr, Steffi G. Riedel-Heller, Georgia Koppe, Daniel Durstewitz, Silvia Krumm and Ulrich Reininghaus |
| Summary: | Background - Public health measures to curb SARS-CoV-2 transmission rates may have negative psychosocial consequences in youth. Digital interventions may help to mitigate these effects. We investigated the associations between social isolation, COVID-19-related cognitive preoccupation, worries, and anxiety, objective social risk indicators, and psychological distress, as well as use of, and attitude toward, mobile health (mHealth) interventions in youth. Methods - Data were collected as part of the “Mental Health And Innovation During COVID-19 Survey”—a cross-sectional panel study including a representative sample of individuals aged 16-25 years (N = 666; Mage = 21.3; assessment period: May 5, 2020 to May 16, 2020). Results - Overall, 38% of youth met criteria for moderate or severe psychological distress. Social isolation worries and anxiety, and objective risk indicators were associated with psychological distress, with evidence of dose-response relationships for some of these associations. For instance, psychological distress was progressively more likely to occur as levels of social isolation increased (reporting “never” as reference group: “occasionally”: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 9.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.3-19.1, p < 0.001; “often”: aOR 22.2, CI 9.8-50.2, p < 0.001; “very often”: aOR 42.3, CI 14.1-126.8, p < 0.001). There was evidence that psychological distress, worries, and anxiety were associated with a positive attitude toward using mHealth interventions, whereas psychological distress, worries, and anxiety were associated with actual use. Conclusions - Public health measures during pandemics may be associated with poor mental health outcomes in youth. Evidence-based digital interventions may help mitigate the negative psychosocial impact without risk of viral infection given there is an objective need and subjective demand. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 27.07.2021 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1778-3585 |
| DOI: | 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.17 |