Abstract
PurposeWith the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the restrictions imposed in many parts of the world, there is growing concern about its impact on mental health. This longitudinal study investigated the social participation, social inclusion and psychological well-being in adults with and without mental disorders before the beginning of the pandemic, as well as during and after strict lockdown restrictions in Germany.MethodsThe sample (n = 106) consisted of three groups: participants with a chronic mental disorder, with an acute mental disorder, and without a mental disorder at the time of the initial survey. Parameters of interest were assessed using the Measure of Participation and Social Inclusion for Use in People with a Chronic Mental Disorder (F-INK), the Index for the Assessment of Health Impairments (IMET) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18).ResultsThe perceived impairments in social participation and the associated changes in behaviour varied depending on the presence of a mental disorder at the time of the initial survey and were largely temporary, i.e. limited to the period of strict lockdown restrictions. We found no further detrimental effects on mental health 4 weeks after lockdown or later, when a policy of physical distancing was in place.ConclusionOverall, our findings suggest a general resilience to the official restrictions and measures as well as the pandemic itself. However, further efforts are needed to improve the situation of people with chronic mental disorders and their limited opportunities for social participation.
Highlights
The global spread of COVID-19 and the various measures taken in response, such as lockdown restrictions or physical distancing policies, have raised concerns about its impact on mental health
The primary instrument used in this study was the Measure of Participation and Social Inclusion for Use in People with a Chronic Mental Disorder (F-INK) [16]
A variety of clinical and social psychiatric variables were investigated before, during and after COVID-19-related lockdown restrictions in three different groups: participants with a chronic mental disorder, participants who were receiving acute psychiatric or psychotherapeutic treatment at the beginning of the study, and participants from the general public who presented with neither acute nor chronic mental disorders. This is the first time these variables have been so thoroughly investigated in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
The global spread of COVID-19 and the various measures taken in response, such as lockdown restrictions or physical distancing policies, have raised concerns about its impact on mental health. With respect to the general population, some studies have found a negative impact on mental health outcomes. Other studies found a predominant resilience in the general population. A study from New Zealand, for example, compared the well-being of propensity score matched samples from population surveys before and after a. It was found that individuals surveyed after the lockdown reported only slightly increased specific psychological distress but were observed to possess a high degree of resilience [5]. Similar results suggesting resilience were found in a survey examining the mental and social health in the older German population [7], as well as a sample of the general population in Dresden before and four weeks after lockdown restrictions [8]
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