What factors contributed to mental well-being trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic? A latent growth and multiple predictor analysis among German adults from 2015 to 2021

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic constituted a global stressor confronting people with various challenges. We aimed to explore mental well-being trajectories from before (2015–2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021) and investigate the contribution of potentially protective factors to mental well-being response patterns. We analyzed data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and the collaborative studies SOEP-CoV and RKI-SOEP from 2015 to 2021 for 12,260 participants (56.87% female, mean age = 54.03, SD = 15.24). By using group-based trajectory modelling (GBTM), we identified three to four classes (stable, growing, deteriorating). Multinomial regression analyses revealed key factors for latent trajectory class membership. A relatively small proportion of adults in Germany were able to maintain life satisfaction (stable 20%), affect balance (59%) and mental health-related quality of life (9%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals with higher initial levels tended to show a slight deterioration during the pandemic phase. Compared to the slightly deteriorating classes, the stable class was mainly characterized by altruism and generalized trust. Altruism, general trust and realistic control beliefs were key factors of mental well-being and thereby offer starting points for future health communication and promotion strategies during critical societal events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.