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Cited by 471COVID-19 and Mental HealthMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumMental Health Treatment and Access

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 60 of the 60 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Acute mental health responses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia

Open access
Newby, Jill M., O’Moore, Kathleen, Tang, Samantha, Christensen, Helen, Faasse, Kate·2020·PLOS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0236562PMC PMC7386645

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Abstract

The acute and long-term mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown. The current study examined the acute mental health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in 5070 adult participants in Australia, using an online survey administered during the peak of the outbreak in Australia (27th March to 7th April 2020). Self-report questionnaires examined COVID-19 fears and behavioural responses to COVID-19, as well as the severity of psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress), health anxiety, contamination fears, alcohol use, and physical activity. 78% of respondents reported that their mental health had worsened since the outbreak, one quarter (25.9%) were very or extremely worried about contracting COVID-19, and half (52.7%) were worried about family and friends contracting COVID-19. Uncertainty, loneliness and financial worries (50%) were common. Rates of elevated psychological distress were higher than expected, with 62%, 50%, and 64% of respondents reporting elevated depression, anxiety and stress levels respectively, and one in four reporting elevated health anxiety in the past week. Participants with self-reported history of a mental health diagnosis had significantly higher distress, health anxiety, and COVID-19 fears than those without a prior mental health diagnosis. Demographic (e.g., non-binary or different gender identity; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status), occupational (e.g., being a carer or stay at home parent), and psychological (e.g., perceived risk of contracting COVID-19) factors were associated with distress. Results revealed that precautionary behaviours (e.g., washing hands, using hand sanitiser, avoiding social events) were common, although in contrast to previous research, higher engagement in hygiene behaviours was associated with higher stress and anxiety levels. These results highlight the serious acute impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of respondents, and the need for proactive, accessible digital mental health services to address these mental health needs, particularly for those most vulnerable, including people with prior history of mental health problems. Longitudinal research is needed to explore long-term predictors of poor mental health from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Crossref · 10.1371/journal.pone.0236562

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Fig 1 Proportion of participants reporting how their mental health has been since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, in the total sample (Left), the sub-sample with a prior mental health diagnosis (middle) and no prior mental health diagnosis (right).
Fig 1 Proportion of participants reporting how their mental health has been since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, in the total sample (Left), the sub-sample with a prior mental health diagnosis (middle) and no prior mental health diagnosis (right).CC BY · PubMed Central
Fig 2 Proportion (% of total sample) of participants reporting worry about finances, uncertainty about the future and feelings of loneliness.
Fig 2 Proportion (% of total sample) of participants reporting worry about finances, uncertainty about the future and feelings of loneliness.CC BY · PubMed Central

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. SB Harvey, Expected impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of health professionals, A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies from the current and previous pandemics. under review
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014, National Health Survey: First Results, 2014–15

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Metadata

Authors
Newby, J. M., O’Moore, K., Tang, S., Christensen, H., & Faasse, K.
Affiliations
  • Black Dog Institute (AU)
  • UNSW Sydney (AU)
Corresponding author
Newby, Jill M.
ORCID
Venue
PLOS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2020-07-28
Volume
15
Issue
7
Pages
e0236562
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0236562
PMC
PMC7386645
OpenAlex
W3046129790
Cited by
471
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 75 · 2022: 122 · 2021: 162 · 2020: 34
FWCI
39.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • medRxiv (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UNSWorks (UNSW Sydney) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • HRB National Drugs Library (Health Research Board) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften (ZB MED) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic, psychological distress, depression, anxiety, stress, health anxiety, fear of contamination, fear of COVID-19, preventive behavior, hygiene practices, loneliness, financial worry, uncertainty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, non-binary gender identity, caregivers, stay-at-home parents, digital mental health services, Australia
MeSH terms
COVID-19, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Adult, Anxiety, Australia, Depression, Fear, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Pneumonia, Viral, Surveys and Questionnaires, Stress, Psychological, Coronavirus Infections, Pandemics, Social Media

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