Longitudinal effects of COVID-19-related stressors on young adults' mental health and wellbeing

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented young adults with novel challenges and disruptions to several life domains. The current study examined how COVID-19-related stressors (i.e., job-related, financial-related, social/relational, and illness-related stressors) relate to young adults' symptoms of depression and anxiety, and satisfaction with life (in the US). In Aim 1, we examined associations between COVID-19-related stressors and indices of mental health and well-being in the initial phase of the pandemic (April/May 2020) while accounting for participants' pre-pandemic levels of these outcomes in January of 2020 (N = 519; M-age = 25.4; 62.8% women). Social/relational stressors were most strongly associated with increased symptoms of anxiety/depression, and financial stressors were most strongly associated with decreased satisfaction with life. Extending this research longitudinally (Aim 2), we sampled young adults bi-monthly across a year-long period (September 2020 to August 2021). Multilevel models revealed within-person associations between each stressor domain and mental health/well-being; young adults reported more symptoms of depression/anxiety and lower satisfaction with life in months that stressors were relatively more salient. Interactions between stressors and time revealed associations were generally stronger in earlier months and decreased linearly across the pandemic. Taken together, longitudinal evidence indicates that COVID-19-related stressors, especially social/relational stressors, have direct and time-varying associations with mental health and well-being.