AI reveals mental health impact of COVID-19 vaccine rollout

COVID-19 vaccine rollouts disparately impacted mental health outcomes for U.S. adults according to recent research led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and published in The Lancet Regional Health -- Americas.

The researchers indicated that existing studies have demonstrated increased mental health issues in U.S. populations following COVID-19 outbreak, but that evidence around the impact of the various phases of COVID-19 vaccine rollout on mental health is lacking.

To help close this evidence gap, the research team conducted a population-based multi-intervention interrupted time series analysis via deep learning to analyze four waves of data from the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

This information, representing data points from January 2019 to February 2023, was then used to analyze changes in the prevalence of anxiety and depression in adults following each major COVID-19 vaccine rollout phase from 2020 to early 2023.

The findings revealed both positive and negative mental health impacts related to vaccine rollout, and rates of both depression and anxiety generally declined among the general population.

Significant reductions were experienced by particular subgroups during different rollout phases: women reported lower anxiety and depression across multiple phases, and individuals raising children saw mental health improvements tied to the availability of vaccines for children and childcare workers.

Similarly, adults reporting poor physical health saw improvements in depression and anxiety coinciding with the rollout of booster shots.

However, the study also highlighted mental health disparities among some marginalized groups, including Black and non-Hispanic people of color, alongside those with lower incomes. These populations saw increases in anxiety and depression during the initial vaccine rollout, likely due to factors like mistrust, discrimination and pandemic-related economic hardship.

"Concerns about the vaccine's safety and effectiveness were more pronounced in these communities, partly due to past experiences of being mistreated or misled by health care providers and authorities," explained Yusen Zhai, Ph.D., lead author and director of the UAB Community Counseling Clinic, in a news release. "This skepticism was exacerbated by the fast-paced development and distribution of the vaccine, making it harder for people to feel confident about getting vaccinated."

The research team emphasized that these findings underscore the need to prioritize both mental and physical health -- through strategies like vaccine shortage planning and provision of mental health resources -- in population health management efforts for infectious disease.

"The empirical evidence gleaned from this study suggests the disparate effects of the phased vaccine rollout on mental health across U.S. populations, underlining the need for careful planning in future strategies for phased disease prevention and interventions," Zhai said.

Shania Kennedy has been covering news related to health IT and analytics since 2022.