Lifestyle Behaviors, Depression, and Anxiety Among Individuals Living in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Journal Articles
Overview
Research
Identity
Additional Document Info
View All
Overview
abstract
The aim of our study was to investigate the association between lifestyle behaviors and symptoms of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. A web survey was conducted between July 3–August 3, 2020, across Canada. The main outcomes considered were a positive screening for depression, as evaluated by the PHQ-2 and positive screening for anxiety, as evaluated by the GAD-7. Lifestyle behaviors were assessed using the Short Multidimensional Lifestyle Inventory Evaluation—Confinement (SMILE-C), an instrument adapted for lifestyle behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The total sample size included 404 participants, of which 24.3% had a positive screen for depression, 20.5% for anxiety, and 15.5% for both. We found significant differences in SMILE-C scores between individuals with a positive and individuals with a negative screen for depression ( P < .001). Likewise, there were significant differences in SMILE-C scores between individuals with a positive and individuals with a negative screen for anxiety ( P < .001). We found an association between unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and symptoms of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 lockdown in Canada. The findings highlight the importance of lifestyle medicine (LM) education and targeted lifestyle interventions to promote healthy behaviors and help reduce the burden of mental disorders.
