HIGH ANXIETY

If ever there was a year to induce anxiety and depression, it has been 2020. Even those who have never experienced a mood disorder before may have found themselves struggling. Has the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a depression epidemic? Science is still playing catch-up, but the early signs are that lockdowns, financial worries and fear of the virus have taken a heavy psychological toll on many of us.

A first-of-its-kind study from the Boston University School of Public Health found 27.8% of adults had depression symptoms in mid-April, compared with 8.5% before the pandemic, with money worries the most common cause. An analysis of a number of Asian studies puts the prevalence of depression at seven times higher than before. And if you are unfortunate enough to become sick with Covid-19, it significantly ups your risk of developing a mood disorder, according to a recent UK study published in the Lancet.

In New Zealand, the effect appears to have been worst on younger people. A survey in April conducted by University of Otago researchers found that almost half of those aged between 18 and 24 experienced moderate to severe psychological distress during the lockdown.