Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health (anxiety and depression symptoms) in the United States of America

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant mental health impact in the United States of America and around the world. Objective: To assess some of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of U.S. adult population, as well as the relationship between the average number of new COVID-19 cases and the average frequency of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anxiety or depression between April 23 and October 26, 2020. Materials and methods: Retrospective study. Psychosocial and demographic data were obtained from the Household Pulse Survey community-based website. Data about the number of new COVID-19 cases detected in the USA during the study period were taken from the Our World in Data website. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the strength of the relationships between the average of new COVID-19 cases during the study period and the average frequency of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anxiety or depression. These correlations were also assessed in a subgroup analysis (sex, age group, education level, and ethnicity). Results: A total of 1 351 911 U.S. adults completed the survey. The average rates of depression, anxiety, and anxiety or depression symptoms were 25.7±1.6%, 31.9±2.0%, and 36.8±2.0%, respectively. The average number of new COVID-19 cases was positively correlated with the mean frequency of anxiety, depression, and anxiety or depression symptoms (r=0.858, r=0.710, and r=0.887; p