TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - Interactive changes in depression and loneliness symptoms prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal network analysis
JO  - Psychiatry research
A1  - Sun, He-Li
A1  - Zhang, Qinge
A1  - Si, Tong Leong
A1  - Bai, Wei
A1  - Chen, Pan
A1  - Lam, Mei Ieng
A1  - Lok, Ka-In
A1  - Su, Zhaohui
A1  - Cheung, Teris
A1  - Ungvari, Gabor S.
A1  - Jackson, Todd
A1  - Sha, Sha
A1  - Xiang, Yu-Tao
SP  - e115744
EP  - e115744
VL  - 333
IS  - 
N2  - 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 "Inability to get going" (CESD8) and the edge with the highest increase across depression-loneliness symptom communities was "Lack companionship" (UCLA1) - "Inability to get going" (CESD8). Finally, "Feeling depressed" (CESD1) and "Everything was an effort" (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>
LA  - en
SN  - 0165-1781
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115744
ID  - ref1
ER  -