Age-Related Differences in Anxiety and Depression Diagnosis among Adults in Puerto Rico during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Andrea Lopez-Cepero, Emory University; Stephanie Cameron-Maldonado, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus; Cynthia M Pérez, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus; Emma Fernández-Repollet, Center for Collaborative Research in Health Disparities; Andrea López-Cepero, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-06-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20115922
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 11
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was partially supported by RCMI grant U54-MD007600 from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). López-Cepero was funded by the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health of the National Institutes of Health under award number K12HD085850. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
• Keywords: anxiety; Adolescent; Humans; young adults; Pandemics; Puerto Rico; mental health; depression; COVID-19 Testing; Depression; Adult; Middle Aged; COVID-19; Anxiety
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Biology, Biostatistics; Health Sciences, Public Health

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.