Otago joins study into effect of rhythm disruption on people’s quality of life
The University of Otago has joined an international research project investigating the impact of Covid-19 isolation and social distancing on people suffering from mood disorders such as depression.
The project involves researchers in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States and the UK. It aims to survey more than 2,000 people with mood disorders about their experiences in dealing with the mental and physical health impacts of Covid-19 restrictions on their daily lives.
Richard Porter, director of Otago’s mental health clinical research unit, said people with mood disorders were particularly vulnerable to disruptions to their daily routines.
“They need routine, regularity and social interaction to be able to manage their mood symptoms, and a breakdown in these factors can precipitate a relapse.”
He said New Zealand’s lockdown measures had resulted in significant changes to people’s lives, which included disruption to simple daily routines such as shopping, exercising and neighbourhood socialising.
“This is a unique time when body and social rhythms have been disrupted, and the health of those people with mood disorders may also have been disrupted,” Porter said in a university statement.
“We know that disruptions such as rotating shifts or long-haul travel can cause people with mood disorders to become unwell. We think some of the negative impact on people with mood disorders of big life changes such as bereavement or job loss may also be related to the disruption of rhythms.”
According to government health data, one in five people in New Zealand are affected by mood disorders such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Porter said the online survey aimed to gather information on the impact of the NZ lockdown on daily routines such as getting out of bed, eating meals, exercising, socialising and sleep patterns.
“By studying this unique situation, we may be able to find better ways of dealing with any disruption to these rhythms and the resulting impact on people’s mood and quality of life.”
He said the researchers were hoping to publish some of the survey’s findings by the end of 2020.
“Different countries have different levels of lockdown, will be at different stages when the study is done and are in different seasons. It will be interesting to see if any differences emerge from that.”