Changes in mental well-being in Hong Kong before and during social unrest and COVID-19

Abstract

\n Purpose Understanding the impact of co-occurring population- and individual-level stressful events on mental well-being should inform future intervention design. This study examined the association of two population-level stressful events (social unrest and COVID-19) and personal stressors with life satisfaction in Hong Kong.Methods This study analyzed data on life satisfaction, experience of stressful life events (SLEs), rumination, and resilience, from two representative population telephone surveys conducted in 2018 (n = 1,514) and 2020 (n = 1,258). The association between life satisfaction and personal SLEs was further compared between the two samples using moderation analysis. Using data from the 2020 survey, the effect of different types of SLEs, rumination, and resilience on life satisfaction was investigated using hierarchical regression analysis.Results The study achieved a response rate of 56.2% and 68.9% for surveys 2018 and 2020, respectively. Life satisfaction of the population decreased significantly in 2020, accompanied by an overall increase in SLEs. Moderation analysis revealed that the relationship between personal SLEs and life satisfaction was significantly greater in 2018 than in 2020. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that an increase in all kinds of SLEs and higher levels of rumination were significantly associated with lower life satisfaction in 2020.Conclusion The significant reduction in life satisfaction reported in this study suggests that measures to support the mental health of populations that have experienced multiple simultaneous, large-scale stressors would be crucial. During distinctive phases as such, rumination may be a potential target for improving overall mental health.