Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Amish and Mennonite Participants in AMBiGen

Overview

People have had to make a lot of changes to their lives due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Most experts agree that social distancing and other safety measures have taken a toll on people s mental health. Amish and Mennonite communities often have large families. They may have limited access to health care. Their lifestyle is based on interaction and group events rather than technology. So people in Amish and Mennonite communities may experience the pandemic in their own special ways. Objective: To describe the relationship between stress related to the pandemic and self-rated measures of mental health symptoms and distress among Amish and Mennonite people with bipolar disorder and related conditions, and their family members. Eligibility: Adults ages 18 and older who are taking part in the NIMH AMBiGen study (80-M-0083). Design: Participants will be mailed 4 surveys. One survey will ask about depression symptoms. One survey will ask about mania symptoms. One survey will assess a broad range of psychological problems. One survey will assess the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health. They will fill out the surveys 4 times over 24 months. The surveys will not include participants names, just codes. This will help protect privacy. Data collected in 80-M-0083 will be used. This includes data about participants genes, medical conditions, and assessments. Participants will get an 800 number they can call to speak to the research team. They can also write to the team if they prefer. Participants who wish will get referrals for mental health services. Participation will last up to 24 months. There will be an option for recontact in the future.

This protocol leverages existing NIMH studies and participants to accomplish time-sensitive research on the mental health impact of environmental stressors imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will describe the relationship between stressors related to COVID-19 and self-rated measures of mental health symptoms and distress among Amish and Mennonite participants in an ongoing study of bipolar disorder (AMBiGen), and their family members. Objectives: The primary objective is to describe the relationship between stressors related to COVID-19 and self-rated measures of mental health symptoms and distress among individuals with bipolar disorder, related conditions, and their family members. The secondary objectives are to determine the roles played by psychiatric diagnosis, genetic risk of various mental illnesses, and perceived social support in moderating risk and resilience for mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.