@article{ref1,
title="Age-related differences in anxiety and depression diagnosis among adults in Puerto Rico during the COVID-19 pandemic",
journal="International journal of environmental research and public health",
year="2023",
author="Cameron-Maldonado, Stephanie and Pérez, Cynthia M. and Fernández-Repollet, Emma and López-Cepero, Andrea",
volume="20",
number="11",
pages="-",
abstract="Residents of Puerto Rico bear a significant burden of mental health disorders, which the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated. However, age-specific data on these disorders during the pandemic in Puerto Rico are scarce. This study evaluated age-related differences in the self-reported diagnosis of depression and anxiety among adults ≥18 years residing in Puerto Rico during the pandemic. An anonymous online survey was administered from December 2020 to February 2021 via Google Forms to measure self-reported sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics and physician-diagnosed mental health disorders. Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted for each self-reported mental health diagnosis after adjusting for sex, education, income, marital status, chronic diseases, and smoking. Out of 1945 adults, 50% were aged 40 years and over. Nearly 24% of responders self-reported an anxiety diagnosis, whereas 15.9% reported depression. Compared to individuals 50 years and over, those 18-29 y, 30-39 y, and 40-49 y had significantly higher odds of an anxiety diagnosis (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.34-2.55; OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.09-2.07; and OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.01-1.87, respectively). However, no association between age and depression diagnosis was found. Despite anxiety and depression being frequent disorders during the pandemic in this sample, younger adults bear a higher burden of anxiety. Further research is needed to allocate appropriate mental health resources during emergencies according to population subgroups.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1661-7827",
doi="10.3390/ijerph20115922",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20115922"
}