Longitudinal evidence on mental health changes of college students with and without mental disorder background during the Argentina's lengthy mandatory quarantine

Abstract

This study examined the changes in the mental health state of college students with and without mental disorder background, during successive time cuts of the Argentina's lengthy mandatory quarantine, while adjusting for quarantine duration, sex, age, suicidal behavior history, loneliness, and region of residence. We used a longitudinal design (N = 1615, 26% with mental disorder history). Successive samplings were performed from three days before quarantine start and across quarantine phases of up to 103-days duration. Follow-up was one month later. Sex (woman) and age (younger) were significant predictors of worse mental health only in college students without mental disorder background. Having any suicidal behavior background significantly predicted worse mental health in college students both with and without mental disorder history. Loneliness and region of residence were not statistically significant. In the between-groups comparisons, college students having mental disorder background had worse mental health than those without such a background. However, in the within-subject comparisons, no statistically significant changes occurred across time in the mental health of college students having mental disorder history. Conversely, significant changes occurred in those without such a background, but only when the interaction between time and quarantine duration was considered. Worsening mental health occurred during the most heavily restrictive quarantine phases, while some of the remissions occurred during the longest, but less restrictive ones.

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Mental illness; Quarantine.