Introduction
This study aims to discuss the possible impacts Covid-19 had on the mental health of
individuals during the first seven months of the pandemic. Previous research has shown that the
pandemic was related to decreased levels of mental health, economic uncertainty,
unemployment, helplessness, loneliness, anxiety, distress, and depression. However, these studies
were narrow in their scope since their research is based on one country. The difference in this
study and the many others is that it analyzed the mental health of individuals based on the
multicultural observation of three countries and comparing them to pre-pandemic baselines.
Purpose
To analyze individual mental health response daily during a crisis that caused changes
that endangered their lives and changed their daily routines and social norms.
Hypothesis
The article presents two research questions:
1. How did the early stages of COVID-19 impact mental health?
2. How is social distancing related to mental health?
Methodology
Sample
Examined the daily mood and depression in 22,562 users from the United States, United
Kingdom, and Germany by administering mood and depression assessments.
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Measures
Using the MindDoc app, participants reported their mood, answer depression and social
distancing surveys.
Procedures
Between January 1st and September 30th of 2019 and 2020, researchers used the MindDoc
app and compared the answers against a questionnaire that was filled out by the patient.
Participants received a prompt three times a day in which they would enter their mood from a
scale of 1-5 and emoji-based choices. The participant also takes one depression and social
distancing survey daily and the results were accumulated every two weeks. The scores would
then be compared to a patient health questionnaire.
Results
The findings suggest that in 22,562 individuals there was a temporary decline in mood
and lack of a decrease in depression for the United States but returned to normal in the next few
months. On the other hand, there were no changes in Germany and the United Kingdom. The
results suggest that people became more resilient, so the impact appears to be less than expected.
The results on social distancing showed a decrease in mood and depression among
sociodemographic groups, especially women, children, the elderly, and those with a lack of
education. The lower levels of mood and high levels of depression were present in in all three
countries.
Practical Significance
This study is meaningful and relevant because the world has been exposed to traumatic
events during the COVID-19 pandemic that could cause mental issues. This type of research is
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