Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Young Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Canadian Population-Based Cohort

Abstract Objectives Concerns have been raised that the COVID-19 pandemic could increase risk for adverse mental health outcomes, especially in young adults, a vulnerable age group. We investigated changes in depression and anxiety symptoms (overall and severe) from before to during the pandemic, as well as whether these changes are linked to COVID-19 related stressors and pre-existing vulnerabilities in young adults followed in the context of a population-based cohort. Method Participants (n=1039) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development reported on their depression and anxiety symptoms and completed a COVID-19 questionnaire during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 (age 22 years). Assessments at age 20 (2018) were used to estimate pre-pandemic depression and anxiety symptom severity. Results While overall levels of depression and anxiety symptoms did not change, there was an increase in rates of severe depression (but not severe anxiety) from before (6.1%) to during (8.2%) the pandemic. Depressive and anxiety symptoms increased from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults with the lowest levels of symptoms before the pandemic, while they decreased among those with the highest levels of pre-existing symptoms. Youth who were living alone experienced an increase in depressive symptoms. Other COVID-19 related variables (e.g., loss of education/occupation, frequent news-seeking) and pre-existing vulnerabilities (e.g., low SES, low social support) were not associated with changes in depression or anxiety symptoms. Conclusion Depression and anxiety symptoms in young adults from Québec in Summer 2020 were comparable to symptoms reported in 2018. Most COVID-19 related stressors and pre-existing vulnerabilities were not associated with changes in symptoms. However, the increased rate of severe depression and the increase in depression and anxiety symptoms among young adults with the least mental health symptoms before the COVID-19 pandemic are concerning.