Assets, stressors, and symptoms of persistent depression over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35235345.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abm9737 and PMC identifier 8890702.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been accompanied by an increase in depression in U.S. adults. Previous literature suggests that having assets may protect against depression. Using a nationally representative longitudinal panel survey of U.S. adults studied in March and April 2020 and in March and April 2021, we found that (i) 20.3% of U.S. adults reported symptoms of persistent depression in Spring 2020 and Spring 2021, (ii) having more assets was associated with lower symptoms of persistent depression, with financial assets-household income and savings-most strongly associated, and (iii) while having assets appeared to protect persons-in particular those without stressors-from symptoms of persistent depression over the COVID-19 pandemic, having assets did not appear to reduce the effects of job loss, financial difficulties, or relationship stress on symptoms of persistent depression. Efforts to reduce population depression should consider the role played by assets in shaping risk of symptoms of persistent depression.