Two in five significantly depressed in first phase of Covid-19 pandemic

The disruption to daily activities, including those typically associated with wellbeing, in the initial lockdown period was associated with the increased risk of reported depression among those surveyed.

Almost 40% of people reported clinically significant levels of depression in a survey conducted within the first three months of the Covid-19 pandemic, linked to disruption to wellbeing activities and social disconnection.

The finding is included in a new study carried out by researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Limerick and the School of Psychiatry at Coventry University, and which gathered the views of almost 500 people.