Abstract
Studies reported a strong impact on mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in March–June, 2020. In this study, we assessed the impact of the pandemic on mental health in general and on schizotypal traits in two independent general population samples of the United Kingdom (May sample N: 239, October sample N: 126; participation at both timepoints: 21) and in two independent general population samples of Germany (May sample N: 543, October sample N: 401; participation at both timepoints: 100) using online surveys. Whereas general psychological symptoms (global symptom index, GSI) and percentage of responders above clinical cut-off for further psychological investigation were higher in the May sample compared to the October sample, schizotypy scores (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire) were higher in the October sample. We investigated potential associations, using general linear regression models (GLM). For schizotypy scores, we found that loneliness, use of drugs, and financial burden were more strongly corrected with schizotypy in the October compared to the May sample. We identified similar associations for GSI, as for schizotypy scores, in the May and October samples. We furthermore found that living in the United Kingdom was related to higher schizotypal scores or GSI. However, individual estimates of the GLM are highly comparable between the two countries. In conclusion, this study shows that while the general psychological impact is lower in the October than the May sample, potentially showing a normative response to an exceptional situation; schizotypy scores are higher at the second timepoint, which may be due to a stronger impact of estimates of loneliness, drug use, and financial burden. The ongoing, exceptional circumstances within this pandemic might increase the risk for developing psychosis in some individuals. The development of general psychological symptoms and schizotypy scores over time requires further attention and investigation.
Highlights
The highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had developed into an ongoing worldwide pandemic by March 2020 precipitating a global health crisis with nearly 150 million cases and over 3 million deaths by the end of April 2021 (Daly and Robinson, 2021; JHU, 2021)
In the third model – the COVID-19 context model – we examined the coherence of COVID 19 pandemic and associated restrictions using the following variables: perception of the burden of restrictions, stressful relationship changes, financial impact of the Pandemic, hope for a soon end and suspicion of COVID19 disease
The current study investigated the association of the COVID19 pandemic with mental health generally and schizotypy in different, partially overlapping general population samples from the United Kingdom and Germany assessed at two time points – the first during widespread societal restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus (April/May 2020), and the second at a time when the majority of Harmful and healthy behavior
Summary
The highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had developed into an ongoing worldwide pandemic by March 2020 precipitating a global health crisis with nearly 150 million cases and over 3 million deaths by the end of April 2021 (Daly and Robinson, 2021; JHU, 2021). At the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, the government in the United Kingdom pondered with the idea of implementing what has since become known as the Swedish strategy, which avoids a lockdown and allows a relatively high number of infections, in order to reach herd immunity (Plümper and Neumayer, 2020). These strategies might have substantially contributed to the variation in numbers of cases and deaths in each country
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