@article{ref1,
title="Interactive changes in depression and loneliness symptoms prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal network analysis",
journal="Psychiatry research",
year="2024",
author="Sun, He-Li and Zhang, Qinge and Si, Tong Leong and Bai, Wei and Chen, Pan and Lam, Mei Ieng and Lok, Ka-In and Su, Zhaohui and Cheung, Teris and Ungvari, Gabor S. and Jackson, Todd and Sha, Sha and Xiang, Yu-Tao",
volume="333",
number="",
pages="e115744-e115744",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: Depression and loneliness co-occur frequently. This study examined interactive changes between depression and loneliness among older adults prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic from a longitudinal network perspective. <br><br>METHODS: This network study was based on data from three waves (2016-2017, 2018-2019, and 2020) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Depression and loneliness were measured with the eight-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-8) and three item version of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, respectively. A network model was constructed using an Ising Model while network differences were assessed using a Network Comparison Test. Central symptoms were identified via Expected Influence (EI). <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 4,293 older adults were included in this study. The prevalence and network of depression and loneliness did not change significantly between the baseline and pre-pandemic assessments but increased significantly from the pre-pandemic assessment to during COVID-19 assessment. The central symptom with the strongest increase from pre-pandemic to pandemic assessments was &quot;Inability to get going&quot; (CESD8) and the edge with the highest increase across depression-loneliness symptom communities was &quot;Lack companionship&quot; (UCLA1) - &quot;Inability to get going&quot; (CESD8). Finally, &quot;Feeling depressed&quot; (CESD1) and &quot;Everything was an effort&quot; (CESD2) were the most central symptoms over the three assessment periods. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with significant changes in the depression-loneliness network model. The most changed symptoms and edges could be treatment targets for reducing the risk of depression and loneliness in older adults.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0165-1781",
doi="10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115744",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115744"
}