‘Standing together – at a distance’: Documenting changes in mental-health indicators in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic
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‘Standing together – at a distance’ : Documenting changes in mental-health indicators in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic. / Clotworthy, Amy; Dissing, Agnete Skovlund; Nguyen, Tri-Long; Jensen, Andreas Kryger; Andersen, Thea Otte; Bilsteen, Josephine Funck; Elsenburg, Leonie K.; Keller, Amélie Cléo; Kusumastuti, Sasmita; Mathisen, Jimmi; Mehta, Amar Jayant; Pinot de Moira, Angela; Rod, Morten Hulvej; Skovdal, Morten; Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine; Willaing, Ingrid; V Varga, Tibor; Vinther, Johan Lerbech; Xu, Tianwei; Hoeyer, Klaus; Rod, Naja Hulvej.
In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2021, p. 79-87.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - ‘Standing together – at a distance’
T2 - Documenting changes in mental-health indicators in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Clotworthy, Amy
AU - Dissing, Agnete Skovlund
AU - Nguyen, Tri-Long
AU - Jensen, Andreas Kryger
AU - Andersen, Thea Otte
AU - Bilsteen, Josephine Funck
AU - Elsenburg, Leonie K.
AU - Keller, Amélie Cléo
AU - Kusumastuti, Sasmita
AU - Mathisen, Jimmi
AU - Mehta, Amar Jayant
AU - Pinot de Moira, Angela
AU - Rod, Morten Hulvej
AU - Skovdal, Morten
AU - Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine
AU - Willaing, Ingrid
AU - V Varga, Tibor
AU - Vinther, Johan Lerbech
AU - Xu, Tianwei
AU - Hoeyer, Klaus
AU - Rod, Naja Hulvej
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Aims: There is a need to document the mental-health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated societal lockdowns. We initiated a large mixed-methods data collection, focusing on crisis-specific worries and mental-healthindicators during the lockdown in Denmark. Methods: The study incorporated five data sources, including quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The surveys included a time series of cross-sectional online questionnaires starting on 20 March 2020, in which 300 (3×100) Danish residents were drawn every three days from three population groups: the general population (N=1046), families with children (N=1032) and older people (N=1059). These data were analysed by trend analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 people aged 24–83 throughout Denmark to provide context to the survey results and to gain insight into people’s experiences of the lockdown. Results: Absolute level of worries, quality of life and social isolation were relatively stable across all population groups during the lockdown, although there was a slight deterioration in older people’s overall mental health. Many respondents were worried about their loved ones’ health (74–76%) and the potential long-term economic consequences of the pandemic (61–66%). The qualitative interviews documented significant variation in people’s experiences, suggesting that the lockdown’s effect on everyday life had not been altogether negative. Conclusions: People in Denmark seem to have managed the lockdown without alarming changes in their mental health. However, it is important to continue investigating the effects of the pandemic and various public-health measures on mental health over time and across national contexts.
AB - Aims: There is a need to document the mental-health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated societal lockdowns. We initiated a large mixed-methods data collection, focusing on crisis-specific worries and mental-healthindicators during the lockdown in Denmark. Methods: The study incorporated five data sources, including quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The surveys included a time series of cross-sectional online questionnaires starting on 20 March 2020, in which 300 (3×100) Danish residents were drawn every three days from three population groups: the general population (N=1046), families with children (N=1032) and older people (N=1059). These data were analysed by trend analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 people aged 24–83 throughout Denmark to provide context to the survey results and to gain insight into people’s experiences of the lockdown. Results: Absolute level of worries, quality of life and social isolation were relatively stable across all population groups during the lockdown, although there was a slight deterioration in older people’s overall mental health. Many respondents were worried about their loved ones’ health (74–76%) and the potential long-term economic consequences of the pandemic (61–66%). The qualitative interviews documented significant variation in people’s experiences, suggesting that the lockdown’s effect on everyday life had not been altogether negative. Conclusions: People in Denmark seem to have managed the lockdown without alarming changes in their mental health. However, it is important to continue investigating the effects of the pandemic and various public-health measures on mental health over time and across national contexts.
KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
KW - Mental health
KW - COVID-19
KW - Quality of life
KW - Social isolation
KW - Worries
KW - Public health
KW - Denmark
KW - Citizen science
U2 - 10.1177/1403494820956445
DO - 10.1177/1403494820956445
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32907495
VL - 49
SP - 79
EP - 87
JO - Acta socio-medica Scandinavica
JF - Acta socio-medica Scandinavica
SN - 1403-4948
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 241827937