• Miquel A Fullana, Diego Hidalgo-Mazzei, Eduard Vieta, and Joaquim Radua.
• Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain; Adult Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
• J Affect Disord. 2020 Oct 1; 275: 80-81.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown might increase anxiety and depressive symptoms, but some behaviors may protect against them.MethodTo provide a preliminary evidence of the behaviors associated with decreased symptoms in the current COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, we conducted a survey of 5545 adult individuals from the Spanish general population, two weeks after an official lockdown was established across the country.ResultsSixty-five percent of the sample reported anxiety or depressive symptoms. Following a healthy/balanced diet and not reading news/updates about COVID-19 very often were the best predictors of lower levels of anxiety symptoms. Following a healthy/balanced diet, following a routine, not reading news/updates about COVID-19 very often, taking the opportunity to pursue hobbies, and staying outdoors or looking outside were the best predictors of lower levels of depressive symptoms.LimitationsCross-sectional nature and use of sample of convenience.ConclusionsThis study suggests that "simple" coping behaviors may protect against anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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