Social Networks, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and Emerging Adults' Mental Health: Resiliency Through Social Bonding and Cohesion.

Abstract

<b>Objectives.</b> To assess how personal social network characteristics moderated mental health declines during the COVID-19 pandemic in emerging adults compared with other age groups. <b>Methods.</b> The Person to Person Health Interview Study, a representative, probability-based cohort study (n = 2485) in Indiana, collected data through face-to-face (baseline) and phone (follow-up) interviews before and during the pandemic. We used survey-weighted growth curve models to examine network effects on computer-adaptive testing measures of depression and anxiety severity. <b>Results.</b> Respondents reported significantly increased depression and anxiety in 2021, which returned almost to baseline levels for most age groups by 2022 (<i>P</i> < .001). Stronger ties to others and more interconnected ties were significantly associated with lower depression (B = -0.112 [<i>P</i> < .05]; B = -0.086 [<i>P</i> < .001]) and anxiety (B = -0.101 [<i>P</i> < .05]; B = -0.063 [<i>P</i> < .01]) severity across the pandemic. Interaction models revealed disproportionate protective effects of network characteristics on depression (B = -0.456 [<i>P</i> < .001]; B = -0.268 [<i>P</i> < .001]) and anxiety (B = -0.388 [<i>P</i> < .001]; B = -0.284 [<i>P</i> < .001]) for emerging adults. <b>Conclusions.</b> Cohesive and affectively strong personal networks promote resiliency to common mental health challenges during periods of crisis, particularly for emerging adults whose social roles and relationships were disrupted during a critical period of development. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2024;114(S3):S258-S267. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307426).