Given the unprecedented level and duration of mitigation policies during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it is not surprising that the public and the media have raised important questions about the potential for negative mental health consequences of the measures. To answer them, natural variability in policy implementation across US states and over time was analyzed to determine if mitigation policies correlated with Google searches for terms associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Findings indicated that restaurant/bar limits and stay-at-home orders correlated with immediate increases in searches for isolation and worry but the effects tapered off two to four weeks after their respective peaks. Moreover, the policies correlated with a reduction in searches for antidepressants and suicide, thus revealing no evidence of increases in severe symptomatology. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7708804PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100963DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mental health
8
mitigation policies
8
policies correlated
8
insights implications
4
implications covid-19
4
covid-19 mitigation
4
mitigation measures
4
measures mental
4
health unprecedented
4
unprecedented level
4

Similar Publications

: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and debilitating mental disorder that has been linked to hyperhomocysteinemia and folate deficiency. These conditions are influenced by the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase () gene, which plays a crucial role in converting homocysteine to methionine and is essential for folate metabolism and neurotransmitter synthesis, including serotonin. : This study explored the association between and polymorphisms among Saudi MDD patients attending the Erada Complex for Mental Health and Erada Services outpatient clinic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cognitive resilience (CR) describes the phenomenon of individuals evading cognitive decline despite prominent Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. Operationalization and measurement of this latent construct is non-trivial as it cannot be directly observed. The residual approach has been widely applied to estimate CR, where the degree of resilience is estimated through a linear model's residuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Religious informal helpers may play a crucial role in recognizing and providing referrals to mental health professional for at-risk individuals, including those with mental illness, especially since members of religious communities tend to conceal their difficulties and to view religious leaders as a sole source of assistance. This quantitative study aimed to explore Jewish bathhouse attendants ("balaniyot") who assist women in their monthly immersion, a unique situation in which mental health symptoms (e.g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An Autoethnographic Account of Familial Mediterranean Fever: A Turkish Patient's Discovery of Spiritual Meaning.

J Relig Health

January 2025

Psychiatric Nursing Department, Gulhane Faculty of Nursing, University of Health Sciences, Turkiye, 06010, Etlik, Ankara, Turkey.

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a genetic autoinflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent febrile episodes that are accompanied by pain in the abdomen, chest, or joints caused by peritonitis, pleuritis, skin lesions, arthritis, and pericarditis. This original article aims to provide an analytic autoethnographic account of a Turkish patient's experience of FMF, with a focus on the discovery of spiritual meaning. In addition to discussing the grief reactions to a loss of health, the article uses self-reflexive discourse and narrative-based analysis to explore four stages of discovery of spiritual meaning through FMF: "omnipotent me," "God's punishment," "God's test," and "God's mercy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A systematic review of passive data for remote monitoring in psychosis and schizophrenia.

NPJ Digit Med

January 2025

Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.

There is increasing use of digital tools to monitor people with psychosis and schizophrenia remotely, but using this type of data is challenging. This systematic review aimed to summarise how studies processed and analysed data collected through digital devices. In total, 203 articles collecting passive data through smartphones or wearable devices, from participants with psychosis or schizophrenia were included in the review.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!