Elevated serious psychological distress, economic disruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic in the nonmetropolitan American West

• Published in: Preventive medicine 2022-02, Vol.155, p.106919-106919, Article 106919
• Main Authors: Mueller, J. Tom, Merdjanoff, Alexis, McConnell, Kathryn, Burow, Paul, Farrell, Justin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; COVID-19; Economy; Humans; Incidence; Mental Health; Nonmetropolitan America; Pandemics; Psychological Distress; SARS-CoV-2; Self-rated Health; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0091-7435; 1096-0260; 1096-0260
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106919

In this study we examined the psychological distress, self-rated health, COVID-19 exposure, and economic disruption of a sample of the nonmetropolitan western U.S. population and labor force one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using novel primary survey data from non-metropolitan counties in the eleven contiguous western United States collected from February 28 until April 3, 2021 (n = 1203), we descriptively analyzed variables and estimated binomial and multinomial logit models of the association between economic disruption, COVID-19 exposure, self-rated health, and psychological distress. Results showed there was widespread presence of psychological distress, COVID-19 exposure, and economic disruption among the overall sample and members of the labor force. There was extremely high incidence of serious psychological distress (14.8% CI [12.1,17.8] of the weighted sample), which was heightened among the labor force (16.6%, CI [13.0,20.9] of those in the labor force). We found economic disruption was associated with severe psychological distress, but exposure to infection was not. Comparatively, overall self-rated health was at similar levels as prior research and was not significantly associated with economic disruption or COVID-19 exposure. COVID-19, particularly its associated economic effects, had a significant relationship with serious psychological distress in this sample of adults in the nonmetropolitan western United States. •The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant economic disruption in nonmetropolitan areas.•Among a sample of the nonmetropolitan western U.S., we find very high levels of serious psychological distress.•Serious psychological distress was associated with economic disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic.•Self-rated health was similar to prior research and not associated with exposure to COVID-19 nor economic disruption.