The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought acute harm to global mental health, especially among vulnerable populations. We explore what factors in people’s lives buffered the impact of the pandemic on depression; in particular, the role of social resources, economic resources, religiosity, and quality of their local environment. Drawing on three waves of longitudinal cohort data (two pre-pandemic waves and one pandemic-period wave) from primary caregivers of school-aged children in Ireland, we demonstrate that symptoms of depression increased sharply during the pandemic. However, depression symptomology increased less steeply among caregivers who, pre-pandemic, had greater economic resources and lived in higher quality environments, but especially among those with greater social resources and those who exhibited greater religiosity. Path analysis suggests that different sources of buffering might mitigate harm via different pathways. While most buffering factors appear to cushion mental well-being by reducing stresses from increased care work, improving familial relations, and helping caregivers manage the closure of/return to schools, other drivers appear to cushion mental well-being by reducing health anxieties around COVID-19, increasing opportunities for outdoor exercise, and protecting household incomes. This study highlights how crisis-preparedness should invest in social infrastructure alongside medical infrastructure to protect societies from future pandemics.

中文翻译：

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是什么缓冲了 COVID-19 大流行对抑郁症的影响？爱尔兰学龄儿童照顾者的纵向研究

COVID-19 大流行对全球心理健康造成了严重伤害，尤其是在弱势人群中。我们探索人们生活中的哪些因素缓冲了大流行对抑郁症的影响；特别是社会资源、经济资源、宗教信仰和当地环境质量的作用。我们利用来自爱尔兰学龄儿童主要照顾者的三波纵向队列数据（两波大流行前波和一波大流行期间波），证明在大流行期间抑郁症状急剧增加。然而，在大流行前拥有更多经济资源并生活在更高质量环境中的看护者中，抑郁症状的增加并不那么陡峭，但尤其是在那些拥有更多社会资源和表现出更高宗教信仰的人中。路径分析表明，不同的缓冲来源可能会通过不同的途径减轻危害。虽然大多数缓冲因素似乎通过减少护理工作增加带来的压力、改善家庭关系以及帮助护理人员管理停课/返校来缓解心理健康，但其他司机似乎通过减少围绕 COVID 的健康焦虑来缓解心理健康-19，增加户外运动的机会，保护家庭收入。这项研究强调了危机准备应如何与医疗基础设施一起投资于社会基础设施，以保护社会免受未来流行病的侵害。改善家庭关系，帮助看护人管理停课/返校，其他司机似乎通过减少围绕 COVID-19 的健康焦虑、增加户外运动的机会和保护家庭收入来缓解心理健康。这项研究强调了危机准备应如何与医疗基础设施一起投资于社会基础设施，以保护社会免受未来流行病的侵害。改善家庭关系，帮助看护人管理停课/返校，其他司机似乎通过减少围绕 COVID-19 的健康焦虑、增加户外运动的机会和保护家庭收入来缓解心理健康。这项研究强调了危机准备应如何与医疗基础设施一起投资于社会基础设施，以保护社会免受未来流行病的侵害。