Development of severe psychological distress among low-income individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It has been indicated that the health impact of COVID-19 is potentially greater in individuals from lower socioeconomic status than in the overall population.

Aims

To examine how the spread of COVID-19 has altered the general public's mental health, and whether such changes differ in relation to individual income.

Method

An online longitudinal survey was conducted at three different time periods during the pandemic. We recruited 1993 people aged 20-70 years, living in the Tokyo metropolitan area in Japan. Participants' mental health was measured with the six-item version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; the existence of severe psychological distress was ascertained through the cut-off data. Multiple logistic and mixed-model ordinal logistic regr

SUBMITTER: Kikuchi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7884661 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature