 Our study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on mental health in low and middle income countries. Specifically, the pandemic caused a 0.29 standard deviation increase in depressive symptoms among those surveyed within four months of the pandemic's onset. This effect was equivalent to moving from the 50th to the 63rd percentile in terms of depressive symptom levels. While the average recovery of 0.07 standard deviations was not statistically significant, it suggests that the pandemic may leave a lasting legacy of depression in some will mix. This article was authored by Nassina Aksunger, Cory Vrenat, Rebecca Littman, and others.