The Impact of Mental Health and Sociodemographic Characteristics on Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction during the Second Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic—Results of a Population-Based Survey in Germany

Alina Geprägs, David Bürgin, Jörg M. Fegert, Elmar Brähler and Vera Clemens
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Alina Geprägs: Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany
David Bürgin: Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany
Jörg M. Fegert: Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany
Elmar Brähler: Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
Vera Clemens: Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-11

Abstract: A decreased quality of life was shown for numerous factors at the beginning of the pandemic. However, it is important to identify people who are at-risk for long-term impairments during the pandemic and its aftermath. Within this study, we aimed to investigate quality of life within a German population-based sample (2515 participants; 51.6% female; mean age 50.09 years) during the second year of the pandemic (2021). Our results showed that the majority reported no pandemic-associated change in quality of life at this state of the pandemic. Higher life satisfaction was associated with fewer mental health problems, no pre-existing somatic and psychiatric disorders, higher income, no income loss during the pandemic, living with others, and younger age. In contrast, in a high-risk group encompassing participants with lower quality of life, only mental health, pre-existing somatic disorders, and living alone had significant associations with quality of life, indicating a smaller scope for improvement in this high-risk group. Age, income loss, and depressive symptoms predicted a decrease in quality of life since the beginning of the pandemic. Our results highlight the importance of mental health, especially in times of pandemic, and underline the need for low-threshold mental health support.

Keywords: COVID-19; pandemic; quality of life; life satisfaction; mental health; depressive symptoms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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