COVID-19 coronavirus psychological distress U.S. 2018 vs 2020

The demographic groups which reported the highest levels of psychological distress in the U.S. in April 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, were those aged 18-29 years, Hispanic individuals, and those with a household income of below 35,000 U.S. dollars. This statistic shows a comparison between 2018 and April 2020 for these select groups, detailing the percentage of U.S. respondents who reported symptoms of serious psychological distress.

Percentage of select U.S. demographic groups who reported symptoms of serious psychological distress in 2018 and during COVID-19 pandemic*

Characteristic	2018	April 2020
Total	3.9%	13.6%
18 to 29 years of age	3.7%	24%
Hispanic	4.4%	18.3%
Household income <35,000 USD	7.9%	19.3%

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Release date

June 2020

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Region

United States

Survey time period

April 7 to 13, 2020

Age group

18 years and older

Method of interview

Online survey

Supplementary notes

* April 2020 measures are from wave 1 of the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Civic Life and Public Health Survey, fielded April 7-13, 2020 (N = 1468 adults aged ≥18 years). 2018 Measures of psychological distress are from the 2018 National Health Interview Survey (N = 25 417 adults aged ≥18 years). Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler 6 Psychological Distress Scale, with scores of 13 or higher indicating serious psychological distress.

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