Bu, F;
Steptoe, A;
Mak, HW;
Fancourt, D;
(2021)
Time use and mental health in UK adults during an 11-week COVID-19 lockdown: a panel analysis.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
10.1192/bjp.2021.44.
(In press).
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Abstract
Background: There is currently major concern about the impact of the global COVID-19 outbreak on mental health. But it remains unclear how individual behaviours could exacerbate or protect against adverse changes in mental health. / Aims: To examine the associations between specific activities (or time use) and mental health and well-being among people during the COVID-19 pandemic. / Method: Data were from the UCL COVID-19 Social Study, a panel study collecting data weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analytical sample consisted of 55 204 adults living in the UK who were followed up for the 11-week strict lockdown period from 21 March to 31 May 2020. Data were analysed using fixed-effects and Arellano–Bond models. / Results: Changes in time spent on a range of activities were associated with changes in mental health and well-being. After controlling for bidirectionality, behaviours involving outdoor activities such as gardening and exercising predicted subsequent improvements in mental health and well-being, whereas increased time spent following news about COVID-19 predicted declines in mental health and well-being. / Conclusions: These results are relevant to the formulation of guidance for people obliged to spend extended periods in isolation during health emergencies and may help the public to maintain well-being during future lockdowns and pandemics.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Time use and mental health in UK adults during an 11-week COVID-19 lockdown: a panel analysis |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1192/bjp.2021.44 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2021.44 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | Time use, depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, COVID-19 |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10127891 |
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