Opportunities to engage in positive activities during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives of individuals with mood disorders.

Autor: Gordon-Smith K; Psychological Medicine, University of Worcester, UK., Hampshire C; School of Psychology, University of Worcester, UK., Mahoney B; School of Psychology, University of Worcester, UK., Perry A; Psychological Medicine, University of Worcester, UK., Lewis KJS; National Centre for Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, UK; Department of Psychiatry, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA., Craddock N; National Centre for Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, UK., Jones I; National Centre for Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, UK., Jones L; Psychological Medicine, University of Worcester, UK. Electronic address: lisa.jones@worc.ac.uk.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of affective disorders [J Affect Disord] 2024 Jan 15; Vol. 345, pp. 186-191. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Oct 27.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.135
Abstrakt: Background: Despite cross-sectional population and clinical studies finding individuals with existing mood disorders being adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, longitudinal studies have not shown a worsening of psychiatric symptoms. In response to these findings, we explored opportunities to engage in positive activities during the pandemic from the perspectives of individuals with mood disorders.
Methods: A bespoke survey, containing closed and open questions, was sent to participants with mood disorders who were part of the UK Bipolar Disorder Research Network (BDRN). Questions related to experiences of positive impacts of the pandemic, levels of engagement in positive activities and coping strategies.
Results: Response rate was 46.4 % (N = 1688). 61.9 % reported positive life changes during the pandemic, with slower pace of life reported most frequently (52.8 %). 47.3 % reported no adverse impact of the pandemic on implementing their usual coping strategies. Activities that respondents most commonly reported the same or greater level of engagement in compared to before the pandemic were avoiding known mood triggers (82.3 %), relaxation techniques (78.8 %) and the ability to maintain set routines (69.4 %).
Limitations: Responder bias may be present and experiences during the pandemic are likely to differ among other clinical and research mood disorders cohorts.
Conclusions: Our findings may help to explain why longitudinal studies have not found a worsening of mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying potential facilitators to maintaining mental health have wider applicability, and may help to inform future evidence-based psychoeducation and self-management programmes for mood disorders.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.
(Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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