Associations between Depression Symptoms and Leisure Behavior during the COVID-19 State of Emergency

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions on daily routines have had a large effect on mental health. This study aimed to explore perceived changes in leisure behavior and some potentially beneficial leisure activities as factors associated with prevalence of depression symptoms during nationwide restrictions of the State of Emergency (SoE). Eight hundred ninety-six adults participated in a cross-sectional online survey during the SoE in Estonia in spring 2020. Binary logistic regression models, with adjustments for covariates, demonstrated that shifted leisure behaviors (having less leisure time; largely or totally changed habitual leisure activities) during the SoE played a role in increased risk of depression symptoms. Our results suggest that higher involvement in physical activities, more time spent in nature, and greater commitment to durable hobbies all appear to have a protective effect against the risk of depression symptoms. Further longitudinal studies on representative samples are needed to establish reliable causal relationships.

Keywords:

• Changes in leisure
• COVID-19
• leisure activities
• pandemic
• symptoms of depression

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our research group members Aleksander Pulver, Kadi Liik, Kristiina Uriko, Avo-Rein Tereping, and Valeri Murnikov for helping to prepare this study.

Declaration of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research has been supported by the Tallinn University School of Natural Sciences and Health research fund project no. TA2620 “Mental health and Well-Being of Estonian Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.”