COVID-19 exacted the steepest mental health toll on US adults with low incomes, multiple pandemic-related stressors, younger age, and single marital status, according to a study today in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.Led by Boston University researchers, the study involved online and phone surveys of the same group of participants in the AmeriSpeak standing panel from Mar 31, 2020, to Apr 13, 2020 (T1), and from Mar 23, 2021, to Apr 19, 2021 (T2).
Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and indicated whether they had ever experienced any of a series of stressors (eg, food insecurity, job loss, death of loved ones) as a result of COVID-19.The researchers compared the results with depression prevalence data