Low Resilience Was a Risk Factor of Mental Health Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemic but Not in Individuals Exposed to COVID-19: A Cohort Study in Spanish Adult General Population.

Abstract

The aim is to analyze whether people with low resilience are at higher risk of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spanish adults. a longitudinal cohort study was carried out. Resilience was measured with the CD-RISC. Mental health problems that were assessed included: Major Depressive Episode (MDE), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors (STB), and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. we found statistically significant differences between groups and resilience scores in MDE [F (3; 48.40) = 19.55], GAD [F (3; 19.63) = 6.45] and STB [F (3; 111.74) = 31.94]. Multivariable analyses showed individuals with very low resilience were at a 5-fold risk of Incidence of MDE and a 4-fold risk of STB. Persistent group presented a 21-fold risk of MDE and 54-fold risk of STB. No evidence of higher risk was found for GAD. Individuals with low resilience and exposed to COVID-19 were not at higher risk. Individuals with low resilience were at higher risk of PTSD in general population [β(95% CI) = -3.25 (-3.969 to -2.54)], but not for individuals with COVID-19. in the general population, having low or very low resilience increases the risk of suffering MDE, STB, and PTSD, but not GAD during the COVID-19 pandemic, and not in the population with COVID-19.