Pre-pandemic mental health and coping strategy usage during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional analysis of the Southern Cities Study

Autor: Gawon Cho, Daniel Hagen, Emily Goldmann
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Psychiatry, Vol 23, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04987-3
Popis: Abstract Background Little is known about the usage of coping strategies recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether coping strategy usage varies by pre-pandemic mental health. This study examined the prevalence of different coping strategies and associations of their usage with pre-pandemic mental health. Methods Data were collected from adults residing in metropolitan areas of the U.S. South in May/June 2020 using random-digit-dialing and web-based surveys (n = 1,644). We estimated the prevalence of each coping strategy: (1) keeping up-to-date about COVID-19; (2) taking breaks from the news or social media; (3) taking care of physical health; (4) engaging in relaxing activities; (5) reaching out to and spending time with others; and (6) trying to find comfort in religious or spiritual beliefs. We examined the association between the use of each strategy and pre-pandemic mental health using modified Poisson regression, adjusting for covariates. We also analyzed the association between pre-pandemic mental health and the number of coping strategies employed using ordered logistic regression. Results The most prevalent strategies were: “keeping up-to-date about COVID-19” (53%), “taking care of physical health” (52%), and “reaching out to and spending time with others” (52%). Good pre-pandemic mental health was associated with an increased prevalence of “reaching out to and spending time with others” (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–1.91). The use of other coping strategies and the number of coping strategies used during the pandemic did not vary by pre-pandemic mental health. Conclusions Our findings suggest that people who had good pre-pandemic mental health were more likely to connect with other people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the well-documented impact of social support on mental health in disaster contexts, efforts to promote safe social connections for those with pre-existing mental health concerns are needed.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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