Demographic disparities in longitudinal changes in mental health and social connection following the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall prevalence of both mental illness and social isolation increased in the United States (US). In this study, we utilized data from the CDC’s Household Pulse Survey, which includes hundreds of thousands of responses indicating level of anxiety and depression symptoms and social connection from 2020 to 2024. By analyzing this data, we were able to better understand the mental and social health outcomes of different demographic populations in the US following COVID-19. Leveraging multivariate analysis, we investigated distinct overall and time-specific patterns in demographic clusters’ responses. Results consistently indicated that those who are older, more highly educated, cisgender, and heterosexual were less likely to display anxiety, depression, and loneliness during and since the pandemic. In contrast, those who are younger, less educated, from Southern states, and from certain communities of color showed a greater level of overall anxiety, depression, loneliness, and lack of support. Notably, those who are LGBT and disabled had the highest rate of mental health symptoms and self-perceived isolation at the end of the survey. Furthermore, throughout the study, all populations with greater prevalence of anxiety and depression were also more likely to indicate feelings of loneliness and lacking support, and vice versa. This co-occurrence suggests that self-perceived social isolation may have been associated with greater mental burden during the pandemic. All in all, these results call into importance increased support for identified vulnerable populations following COVID-19, as well as during similar future crises.