This project will use shopping data to explore COVID-19's impact on mental health. Previous research (Kwong et al., 2020) showed increased anxiety for ALSPAC participants during the pandemic, while depression remained stable. We build on this by introducing novel behavioural data from loyalty cards, which offer detailed, objective insights into individual purchasing behaviours. Supermarket data captures individual behaviours through the purchase of food, alcohol, tobacco, and over-the-counter medications—key indicators of coping mechanisms during periods of stress and anxiety (Jia et al., 2020). This project will look at purchase patterns before, during and after the pandemic. We will compare these purchasing patterns with mental health data from self-reports and medical records, enabling us to better understand the breadth and long-term effects of COVID-19 on population mental health.

Kwong et al. (2020): Mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in two longitudinal UK population cohorts - PMC (nih.gov))
Jia et al. (2002): Mental health in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analyses from a community cohort study