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Table 1 Cohort demographics and COVID-19 exposure including impact on life; and differences between Germany and the UK

From: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: a comparison between Germany and the UK

  

Whole sample

UK

Germany

Chi2/Wilcox for country comparison: UK versus GER

N

 

858

239

541

X-squared = 118.2,

df = 1,

p value < 0.001***

Age

 

43.27 years (SD15.4)

39.01 years (SD16.0)

45.36 years (SD14.8)

Wilcox: 48,386

p value < 0.001***

Gender

Female

71.6%

73.6%

71.2%

X-squared = 0.36,

df = 2,

p value = 0.8

 

Male

25.4%

24.3%

25.9%

 
 

Diverse

0.5%

0.4%

0.6%

 
 

Missing

2.5%

1.7%

2.4%

 

Education

School leavers

0.1%

0.4%

–

X-squared = 69.3, df = 7,

p value < 0.001***

 

8 years—A-levels

14.3%

19.2%

13.1%

 
 

Professional college or bachelor

24.3%

31.8%

21.6%

 
 

Masters or higher

60.1%

47.3%

64.9%

 
 

Missing

1.2%

1.3%

0.4%

 

Children at home (max.18 years)

Yes

28.1%

21.1%

30.7%

X-squared = 7.83, df = 1,

p value = 0.005**

 

Missing

2.0%

1.6%

2.6%

 

COVID19 exposure

Suspected infection

Positive test

0.1%

–

0.2%

X-squared = 7.25, df = 3,

p value = 0.06

 

Diagnosis

1.3%

2.5%

0.7%

 
 

Symptoms

15.6%

18.8%

14.2%

 
 

No infection

82.2%

78.7%

83.9%

 
 

Missing

0.8%

–

0.9%

 

Symptoms

Fever

8.5%

10.0%

8.0%

X-squared = 1.04,

df = 1,

p value = 0.3 (based on ‘no symptoms’)

 

Cough

17.1%

21.3%

15.5%

 
 

Shortness of breath

9.4%

10.0%

9.8%

 
 

Sore throat

21.2%

23.4%

19.9%

 
 

Fatigue

27.4%

28.5%

27.7%

 
 

Lost smell/taste

2.9%

4.2%

2.2%

 
 

Infected eyes

3.7%

3.8%

3.5%

 
 

Other symptoms

6.3%

6.3%

6.7%

 
 

No symptoms

55.2%

51.9%

55.8%

 

Contact to people with potential infection

Positive test

7.8%

3.3%

9.8%

X-squared = 1.14,

df = 1,

p value = 0.3 (based on ‘no contact’)

 

Diagnosis

2.1%

5.4%

0.6%

 
 

Symptoms

12.8%

17.2%

11.7%

 
 

No contact

78.1%

74.9%

78.4%

 

Impact on work and financial situation

Impact on work

Home office

48.7%

50.6%

46.8%

X-squared = 2.39,

df = 1,

p value = 0.1 (based on ‘no change’)

 

Reductions of hours

7.1%

6.7%

7.4%

 
 

Unpaid leave

2.6%

3.4%

2.4%

 
 

Overtime/negative hoursa

7.7%

1.3%

11.3%

 
 

Lost job

3.9%

2.9%

3.7%

 
 

No change

16.1%

13.0%

17.4%

 

Impact on family

Infected

5.8

10.5%

4.4%

X-squared = 38.3,

df = 1,

p value < 0.001*** (based on ‘no impact’)

 

Hospitalised

1.8%

1.7%

2.0%

 
 

Death

1.3%

3.8%

0.4%

 
 

Quarantine, symptoms

15.3%

23.9%

12.2%

 
 

Quarantine, no symptoms

7.5%

14.6%

4.6%

 
 

Reduced working hours

16.7%

26.4%

12.6%

 
 

Lost job

6.8%

10.9%

4.4%

 
 

No impact

65.9%

49.0%

71.9%

 

Financial impact of COVID-19

No impact

54.0%

46.0%

58.8%

X-squared = 19.2,

df = 4,

p value < 0.001***

 

Slight

16.4%

23.4%

12.8%

 
 

Moderate

13.3%

11.7%

12.8%

 
 

Big

12.6%

15.9%

11.7%

 
 

Extreme

3.3%

2.9%

3.3%

 
 

Missing

0.5%

–

0.7%

 

Not enough money for food

Yes

2.9%

2.9%

3.1%

X-squared = 0.03,

df = 1,

p value = 0.8

 

Missing

1.1%

1.0%

1.0%

 

Personal judgement of the situation

Are the restrictions stressful?

Not at all

13.5%

11.3%

14.8%

X-squared = 6.3,

df = 4,

p value = 0.2

 

Slightly

26.8%

29.3%

26.3%

 
 

Moderately

27.6%

25.5%

28.1%

 
 

Very

20.5%

24.3%

18.7%

 
 

Extremely

11.3%

9.2%

12.2%

 
 

Missing

0.2%

0.4%

–

 

How concerned are you about your life stability?

Not at all

34.6%

46.4%

30.5%

X-squared = 21.7,df = 4, p value < 0.001***

 

Slightly

23.4%

22.2%

23.8%

 
 

Moderately

19.1%

14.2%

21.3%

 
 

Very

15.4%

10.9%

17.2%

 
 

Extremely

6.8%

5.0%

6.8%

 
 

Missing

0.7%

1.3%

0.4%

 

How hopeful are you of a soon end of the pandemic in your region of residence?

Not at all

17.1%

14.2%

17.9%

X-squared = 28.824,

df = 4, p value < 0.001***

 

Slightly

32.1%

27.6%

34.9%

 
 

Moderately

28.6%

25.2%

30.1%

 
 

Very

14.7%

19.7%

12.8%

 
 

Extremely

7.6%

13.0%

4.3%

 

Does the pandemic have any positive impact on your personal life?

No

35.0%

31.0%

36.4%

X-squared = 14.225, df = 2, p value < 0.001***

 

Few

35.6%

29.3%

37.7%

 
 

Some

29.1%

38.9%

25.9%

 
 

Missing

0.4%

0.8%

–

 

Mental and physical health status

Self-rated mental health, before COVID-19

Excellent

15.0%

14.2%

15.3%

X-squared = 34.938,

df = 4,

p value < 0.001****

 

Very good

32.4%

21.8%

37.0%

 
 

Good

28.7%

30.1%

28.3%

 
 

Fair

16.4%

21.3%

14.6%

 
 

Poor

5.8%

11.3%

3.3%

 
 

Missing

1.6%

1.3%

1.5%

 

Regular treatment for mental illness, before pandemic

Yes

13.3%

17.6%

10.1%

X-squared = 8.7436,

df = 1,

p value = 0.003**

 

Missing

11.4%

13.4%

7.2%

 

Continuation of treatment during pandemic

More

2.3%

3.6%

1.0%

X-squared = 5.3799,

df = 2,

p value = 0.07

 

Less

12.5%

13.6%

11.5%

 
 

Same

85.3%

82.8%

87.8%

 

Self-rated physical health, before pandemic

Excellent

12.1%

13.0%

11.3%

X-squared = 1.5322,

df = 4,

p value = 0.8

 

Very good

33.1%

32.2%

33.3%

 
 

Good

33.9%

31.8%

35.7%

 
 

Fair

16.3%

17.2%

15.5%

 
 

Poor

3.2%

3.8%

3.3%

 
 

Missing

1.4%

2.1%

1.0%

 

Regular treatment for physical illness, before pandemic

Yes

19.5%

18.4%

20.2%

X-squared = 0.0008792,

df = 1,

p value = 1

 

Missing

11.6%

14.6%

7.0%

 

Continuation of treatment during pandemic

More

1.0%

1.8%

–

X-squared = 5.7522,

df = 2,

p value = 0.056

 

Less

14.1%

14.3%

14.4%

 
 

Same

85.0%

83.9%

85.6%

 
  1. *< .05; **< .01; ***< .001;
  2. aOvertime/negative hours, is a concept uncommon in the UK