Earlier Bedtime and Effective Coping Skills Predict a Return to Low-Risk of Depression in Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Qingyu Zhao, Kevin Wang, Orsolya Kiss, Dilara Yuksel, Massimiliano de Zambotti, Duncan B. Clark, David B. Goldston, Kate B. Nooner, Sandra A. Brown, Susan F. Tapert, Wesley K. Thompson, Bonnie J. Nagel, Adolf Pfefferbaum, Edith V. Sullivan, Kilian M. Pohl () and Fiona C. Baker
Additional contact information
Qingyu Zhao: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
Kevin Wang: Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Orsolya Kiss: Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
Dilara Yuksel: Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
Massimiliano de Zambotti: Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
Duncan B. Clark: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
David B. Goldston: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, USA
Kate B. Nooner: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
Sandra A. Brown: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Susan F. Tapert: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Wesley K. Thompson: Population Neuroscience and Genetics Lab, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Bonnie J. Nagel: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
Adolf Pfefferbaum: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
Edith V. Sullivan: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
Kilian M. Pohl: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
Fiona C. Baker: Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-12

Abstract: To determine the persistent effects of the pandemic on mental health in young adults, we categorized depressive symptom trajectories and sought factors that promoted a reduction in depressive symptoms in high-risk individuals. Specifically, longitudinal analysis investigated changes in the risk for depression before and during the pandemic until December 2021 in 399 young adults (57% female; age range: 22.8 ± 2.6 years) in the United States (U.S.) participating in the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) study. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10) was administered multiple times before and during the pandemic. A score ≥10 identified individuals at high-risk for depression. Self-reported sleep behavior, substance use, and coping skills at the start of the pandemic were assessed as predictors for returning to low-risk levels while controlling for demographic factors. The analysis identified four trajectory groups regarding depression risk, with 38% being at low-risk pre-pandemic through 2021, 14% showing persistent high-risk pre-pandemic through 2021, and the remainder converting to high-risk either in June 2020 (30%) or later (18%). Of those who became high-risk in June 2020, 51% were no longer at high-risk in 2021. Logistic regression revealed that earlier bedtime and, for the older participants (mid to late twenties), better coping skills were associated with this declining risk. Results indicate divergence in trajectories of depressive symptoms, with a considerable number of young adults developing persistent depressive symptoms. Healthy sleep behavior and specific coping skills have the potential to promote remittance from depressive symptoms in the context of the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; young adults; depressive symptoms; sleep; coping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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