AUTHOR=Riehm Kira E. , Badillo Goicoechea Elena , Wang Frances M. , Kim Esther , Aldridge Luke R. , Lupton-Smith Carly P. , Presskreischer Rachel , Chang Ting-Hsuan , LaRocca Sarah , Kreuter Frauke , Stuart Elizabeth A. 

TITLE=Association of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions to Reduce the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 With Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms: A Multi-National Study of 43 Countries

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=67

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604430

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1604430

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> To examine the association of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) with anxiety and depressive symptoms among adults and determine if these associations varied by gender and age.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We combined survey data from 16,177,184 adults from 43 countries who participated in the daily COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey <italic>via</italic> Facebook with time-varying NPI data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker between 24 April 2020 and 20 December 2020. Using logistic regression models, we examined the association of [1] overall NPI stringency and [2] seven individual NPIs (school closures, workplace closures, cancellation of public events, restrictions on the size of gatherings, stay-at-home requirements, restrictions on internal movement, and international travel controls) with anxiety and depressive symptoms.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> More stringent implementation of NPIs was associated with a higher odds of anxiety and depressive symptoms, albeit with very small effect sizes. Individual NPIs had heterogeneous associations with anxiety and depressive symptoms by gender and age.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Governments worldwide should be prepared to address the possible mental health consequences of stringent NPI implementation with both universal and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups.</p>