Longitudinal changes of anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: The role of pre-existing anxiety, depressive, and other mental disorders.

Especially individuals with mental disorders might experience an escalation of psychopathological symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we investigated the role of anxiety, depressive, and other mental disorders for levels and longitudinal changes of COVID-19-related fear, anxiety and depressive symptoms during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. In a longitudinal observational design with four assessment waves from March, 27th until June, 15th 2020, a total of 6,551 adults from Germany was assessed.

Longitudinal changes in anxiety and psychological distress, and associated risk and protective factors during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is related to multiple stressors and therefore may be associated with psychological distress. The aim of this study was to longitudinally assess symptoms of (un-)specific anxiety and depression along different stages of the pandemic to generate knowledge about the progress of psychological consequences of the pandemic and to test the role of potential risk and resilience factors that were derived from cross-sectional studies and official recommendations.

Methods: The present study uses a longitudinal observational design with four waves of online data collection (from March 27 to June 15, 2020) in a convenience sample of the general population in Germany.