Supasitthumrong, Thitiporn ORCID: 0000-0001-6555-0781 , Maes, Michael, Tunvirachaisakul, Chavit, Rungnirundorn, Teerayuth, Zhou, Bo, Li, Jing, Wainipitapong, Sorawit ORCID: 0000-0001-6306-0930 , Ratanajaruraks, Anchalita, Nimnuan, Chaichana, Kanchanatawan, Buranee, Thompson, Trevor ORCID: 0000-0001-9880-782X , Solmi, Marco ORCID: 0000-0003-4877-7233 and Correll, Christoph (2024) Predictors of increased affective symptoms and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a large-scale study of 14 271 Thai adults. BMJ Mental Health, 27 (1):e300982. pp. 1-7. ISSN 2755-9734 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2023-300982)

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Abstract

Background
Increasing data suggest emergent affective symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives
To study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on affective symptoms and suicidal ideation in Thai adults.
Methods
The Collaborative Outcomes Study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times uses non-probability sampling (chain referring and voluntary response sampling) and stratified probability sampling to identify risk factors of mental health problems and potential treatment targets to improve mental health outcomes during pandemics.
Findings
Analysing 14 271 adult survey participants across all four waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, covering all 77 provinces from 1 June 2020 to 30 April 2022, affective symptoms and suicidality increased during COVID-19 pandemic. Affective symptoms were strongly predicted by pandemic (feelings of isolation, fear of COVID-19, loss of social support, financial loss, lack of protective devices) and non-pandemic (female sex, non-binary individuals, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), negative life events, student status, multiple mental health and medical conditions, physical pain) risk factors. ACEs, prior mental health conditions and physical pain were the top three risk factors associated with both increased affective symptoms and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Partial least squares analysis showed that ACEs were the most important risk factor as they impacted most pandemic and non-pandemic risk factors.
Clinical implications
Rational policymaking during a pandemic should aim to identify the groups at highest risk (those with ACEs, psychiatric and medical disease, women, non-binary individuals) and implement both immediate and long-term strategies to mitigate the impact of ACEs, while effectively addressing associated psychiatric and medical conditions.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	COVID-19; mental health; pandemic
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	23 Feb 2024 11:50
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/45989

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