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Psychiatric Epidemiology During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Our review critically examines research on trends in mental health among US adults following the COVID-19 pandemic’s onset and makes recommendations for research on the topic.

Recent Findings

Studies comparing pre-pandemic nationally representative government surveys (“benchmark surveys”) with pandemic-era non-benchmark surveys generally estimated threefold to fourfold increases in the prevalence of adverse mental-health outcomes following the pandemic’s onset. However, studies analyzing trends in repeated waves of a single survey, which may carry a lower risk of bias, generally estimated much smaller increases in adverse outcomes. Likewise in our analysis of benchmark surveys, we estimated < 1% increases in the prevalence of adverse outcomes from 2018/2019–2021. Finally, studies analyzing vital-statistics data estimated spiking fatal-overdose rates, but stable suicide rates.

Summary

Although fatal-overdose rates increased substantially following the pandemic’s onset, evidence suggests the population prevalence of other adverse mental-health outcomes may have departed minimally from prior years’ trends, at least through 2021. Future research on trends through the pandemic’s later stages should prioritize leveraging repeated waves of benchmark surveys to minimize risk of bias.

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Availability of Data and Materials

Our R code is Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/twsrj/?view_only=bf350ae7d72948d29c3911588a9e52fc), where readers can find information about accessing the data analyzed.

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Funding

J.E.G.’s and R.P.’s research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (T32MH013043). J.E.G.’s research was additionally supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006396). J.R.P.’s research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health (K01DA058085).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot, Rachel Presskreischer & John R. Pamplin II

  2. Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 180 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot

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  1. Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot
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  2. Rachel Presskreischer
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  3. John R. Pamplin II
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Contributions

J.E.G. reviewed and interpreted the literature, conducted the statistical analyses, and drafted the initial version of the manuscript. All other authors advised J.E.G. on the literature review and statistical analyses and provided feedback on subsequent drafts of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

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Correspondence to Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot.

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Eisenberg-Guyot, J., Presskreischer, R. & Pamplin, J.R. Psychiatric Epidemiology During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Curr Epidemiol Rep (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-024-00342-6

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