Article

Associations of risk perception of COVID-19 with emotion and mental health during the pandemic

January 2021
Journal of Affective Disorders 284(5)

DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2021.01.049

Authors:

Qing Han

University of Bristol

Bang Zheng

Peking University

Maximilian Agostini

University of Groningen

Jocelyn J Bélanger

Carnegie Mellon University Qatar

Show all 19 authorsHide

Background Although there are increasing concerns on mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, no large-scale population-based studies have examined the associations of risk perception of COVID-19 with emotion and subsequent mental health. Methods : This study analysed cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the PsyCorona Survey that included 54,845 participants from 112 countries, of which 23,278 participants are representative samples of 24 countries in terms of gender and age. Specification curve analysis (SCA) was used to examine associations of risk perception of COVID-19 with emotion and self-rated mental health. This robust method considers all reasonable model specifications to avoid subjective analytical decisions while accounting for multiple testing. Results : All 162 multilevel linear regressions in the SCA indicated that higher risk perception of COVID-19 was significantly associated with less positive or more negative emotions (median standardised β=-0.171, median SE=0.004, P<0.001). Specifically, regressions involving economic risk perception and negative emotions revealed stronger associations. Moreover, risk perception at baseline survey was inversely associated with subsequent mental health (standardised β=-0.214, SE=0.029, P<0.001). We further used SCA to explore whether this inverse association was mediated by emotional distress. Among the 54 multilevel linear regressions of mental health on risk perception and emotion, 42 models showed a strong mediation effect, where no significant direct effect of risk perception was found after controlling for emotion (P>0.05). Limitations Reliance on self-reported data. Conclusions : Risk perception of COVID-19 was associated with emotion and ultimately mental health. Interventions on reducing excessive risk perception and managing emotional distress could promote mental health.

Exploring the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 and donations during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating roles of emotions and risk perception

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2023

Objective: Public emergency events like the COVID-19 pandemic are special occasions that need immediate massive funding from public donations. Thus, understanding the determinants of donation behaviors under public emergencies is important for both researchers and practitioners. This study investigated the effect of personal and local exposure to incidences of COVID-19 on donation behaviors. Specifically, we examined the mediating effects of risk perception and emotions on the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 and donation behaviors. Methods: The data were from a survey distributed in China between March 20 and 30th, 2020. Participants' donation choice at the end of the survey was used to measure their donation behaviors. Participants' emotions, risk perception, and personal exposure were assessed in the questionnaire. Local exposure was the 30-day confirmed cases obtained from the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China. A total of 8,720 participants (Mean age = 28.91, 43.6% females) completed the online survey. Results: Based on the results from the mediation analysis, we found that people with stronger positive and negative emotions, higher risk perception, and more personal exposure to COVID-19 were more likely to donate. Furthermore, the effects of both personal and local exposure on donations are mediated by risk perception and negative emotion. Both higher personal and local exposure led to stronger negative emotions and higher risk perception, which in turn led to more donation behaviors. Discussion: This study extends our knowledge of donation behaviors during public emergencies. Our results suggest that policymakers and charity organizations should elicit stronger emotions and risk perception by exposing the severity of the disaster in advertisements to promote donations.

Emoções desencadeadas pela pandemia influenciaram nossa percepção de valor?

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2023

Objetivo: O objetivo desse estudo foi examinar a relação entre emoções, percepção de risco, valor percebido e lealdade à marca durante uma crise global para entender como as emoções incidentais, ou seja, emoções não relacionadas à decisão, podem influenciar as percepções do consumidor sobre valor de bens e lealdade à marca.Metodologia/abordagem: Usando dados coletados de 290 brasileiros durante a pandemia da Covid-19, um modelo estrutural baseado na percepção de risco, emoções positivas e negativas, valor percebido e lealdade à marca foi proposto e testado empiricamente.Originalidade/valor: Esta pesquisa confirma que emoções incidentais podem impactar o valor percebido. Sendo assim, a pesquisa aumenta a compreensão do papel das emoções na relação consumidor-produto-marca. Em segundo lugar, o estudo faz uma contribuição metodológica ao analisar as relações entre percepção de crise, emoções positivas e negativas, valor percebido e lealdade à marca em uma situação real. Vale ressaltar que estudos sobre emoções incidentais no comportamento do consumidor são geralmente induzidos por experimentos.Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que os respondentes se sentiram alertas e atentos, e estas emoções desempenharam uma função significante na relação entre emoções e valor percebido durante a pandemia. Observou-se que a percepção de risco influencia as emoções negativas e positivas, mas não influencia diretamente a lealdade à marca.Contribuição teórica e prática: Os resultados fornecem suporte para o modelo, onde as emoções incidentais influenciam o valor percebido. Sendo assim, o estudo contribuiu para a literatura examinando e confirmando a relação entre emoções incidentais e valor percebido. No entanto, a percepção de risco e as emoções não influenciam diretamente a lealdade à marca. Desenvolver produtos e serviços que resolvam os problemas oriundos das emoções vivenciadas durante uma crise podem despertar o interesse do consumidor. Como contribuição social, a pesquisa apresenta que bens e serviços podem auxiliar na regulação emocional.

Mental Health among Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Investigation

Article

Feb 2023

This study aimed to assess changes in COVID-19 related factors (i.e. risk perception, knowledge about the virus, preventive behaviors and perceived efficacy) and mental health (i.e. psychological distress and positive mental health), in a sample of Romanian young adults attending college, assessed immediately after the national COVID-19 lockdown ended (Time 1) and six months after the end of the lockdown (Time 2). We also evaluated the longitudinal relations between COVID-19 related factors and mental health. The sample consisted of 289 undergraduate students (89.3% female, Mage = 20.74, SD = 1.06), who completed questionnaires assessing mental health and COVID-19-related factors via two online surveys, six months apart. The results showed that perceived efficacy and preventive behaviors, as well as positive mental health, but not psychological distress, decreased significantly over the six months period. Risk perception and perceived efficacy of preventive behaviors at Time 1 were positively related with the number of preventive behaviors measured six months later. Risk perception at Time 1 and fear of COVID-19 at Time 2 predicted the mental health indicators at Time 2. Public-health strategies should find the right balance in cultivating proper levels of risk perception that would be most beneficial for prevention of COVID-19 spread and mental health problems due to pandemic.

Associations between COVID-19 risk perceptions and mental health, wellbeing, and risk behaviours

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Mental health has worsened, and substance use has increased for some people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Some cross-sectional studies suggest that higher COVID-19 risk perceptions are related to poorer mental health and greater risk behaviours (e.g. substance use). However, longitudinal and genetic data are needed to help to reduce the likelihood of reverse causality. We used cross-sectional, longitudinal, and polygenic risk score (PRS; for anxiety, depression, wellbeing) data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). We examined cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal associations between COVID-19 risk perceptions (i.e. cognitive, affective, self, other, and a combined ‘holistic’ measure) and mental health (i.e. anxiety, depression), wellbeing, and risk behaviours. Pandemic (April–July 2020) and pre-pandemic (2003–2017) data (ns = 233–5,115) were included. Higher COVID-19 risk perceptions (holistic) were associated with anxiety (OR 2.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.20 to 3.52), depression (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.18), low wellbeing (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.45 to 2.13), and increased alcohol use (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.72). Higher COVID-19 risk perceptions were also associated with self-isolating given a suspected COVID-19 infection (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.68), and less face-to-face contact (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.98) and physical contact (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.00). Pre-pandemic anxiety (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.09) and low wellbeing (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.74) were associated with higher COVID-19 risk perceptions. The depression PRS (b 0.21, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.40) and wellbeing PRS (b − 0.29, 95% CI −0.48 to −0.09) were associated with higher and lower COVID-19 risk perceptions, respectively. Poorer mental health and wellbeing are associated with higher COVID-19 risk perceptions, and longitudinal and genetic data suggest that they may play a causal role in COVID-19 risk perceptions.

Mental health problems among healthcare professionals following the workplace violence issue-mediating effect of risk perception

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022

Although there have been numerous studies on mental wellbeing impairment or other negative consequences of Workplace Violence (WPV) against healthcare professionals, however, the effects of WPV are not limited to those who experience WPV in person, but those who exposed to WPV information indirectly. In the aftermath of “death of Dr. Yang Wen,” a cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the psychological status of healthcare professionals. A total of 965 healthcare professionals from 32 provinces in China participated in our research. The prevalence rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, anxiety among healthcare professional in the current study were 25.60, 46.01, and 27.88%, respectively. Moreover, our research suggested that the awareness of WPV-incident had a significant association with PTSD symptoms. In addition, risk perception was shown to mediate the effect of WPV awareness on PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, the present research also found a U-shaped relationship between issue salience and PTSD symptoms, and the relationship between issue salience and anxiety, indicating that higher awareness of WPV issue was negatively related to mental health status (including PTSD and anxiety) but only to the points at which there were no additional effects of more issue salience. This study highlighted that more protective measures for healthcare professionals need to be implemented in response to potential WPV events. More importantly, risk perception was found to mediate the effect of WPV issue salience on PTSD symptoms, it is critical to reduce the mental health burden through intervening in risk perception.

Analysis on Influencing Factors of Depression and Anxiety Among College Students and Their Association with Corona Virus Disease 2019 Risk Perception

Article

May 2023

Social CRM to Reduce Perceived Risks in Online Purchase Behavior

Conference Paper

Nov 2022

The technological developments and the recent pandemic accelerated a behavior change, boosting online purchases and demanding a fast adaptation from companies to survive this new environment. However, online purchases come with perceived risks that customers consider before buying a product or service. Social CRM combines social media as a channel to interact with customers and improve companyconsumer relationships. The knowledge and processes from implementing an integrated Social CRM support companies to detect demands and understand customer behavior. In this sense, this study examines the existing literature on perceived risks in online purchases, post-pandemic behavioral changes and Social CRM to identify how these risks are associated with the different tasks in the process level of the Social CRM framework. The study also indicates how Social CRM can support companies in minimizing the perceived risks, influencing positive behavior from customers.

Applying a Goal-Directed Behavior Model to Determine Risk Perception of COVID-19 and War on Potential Travelers’ Behavioral Intentions

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of the relationship between risk perception of COVID-19 and the war-applied Model of Goal-directed Behavior (MGB) based on stimulus–organism–response (SOR) and potential travelers’ behavioral intention. In addition, this study attempted to verify the relationship among uncertainty toward international travel, mental well-being toward international travel, and desire toward travelers’ behavioral intention. Moreover, we examined the moderating effect of gender (female vs. male) among all variables for dependents. The survey was conducted on potential travelers in Korea. As for the survey period, a survey was conducted for one month beginning on 2 September 2022. Of the total 413 surveys, 361 surveys were used for the final analysis, and 52 unfaithful surveys were excluded. In addition, demographic, CFA, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and moderation effect analysis were verified using SPSS and AMOS. For the data analysis, we used SPSS 18.0 and Amos 20.0 to perform factor analysis and SEM. Significant effects were found in support for Hypotheses 1–5. Further, when it comes to the difference of gender on the relationship between all the variables, while no significant effect was found for Hypotheses 6a,c,e,g, a significant effect was found for Hypotheses 6b,d,f. Thus, H6a,c,e were rejected and H6b,d,f were supported. It was found that females had a greater influence on mental health and desire for overseas travel than males, but it was found that there was no difference between females and males in the relationship between desire and behavioral intention. Therefore, it was possible to verify that the MGB desire is an important psychological variable for both females and males. Furthermore, these findings offer academic practical implications to travel and tourism companies by presenting basic data based on the results of empirical research analysis in the context of the current dangerous situation.

Intuitive risk perception, anxiety and worry during the COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Preventive behavior and decision-making processes depend greatly on risk perception. Incorporating the affective component in risk assessment provides valuable information for understanding COVID-19-related risk. The study aimed to adapt and validate the COVID-19 Risk Belief Scale and evaluating Intuitive Risk Perception and its association with anxiety and worry. A cross-sectional study was conducted analyzing data from 694 Mexican adults, which was collected through on-line platforms during 2020. The final CFA including 18 items showed adequate goodness-of-fit indices (RMSEA = 0.059, 90% CI [0.053, 0.065]; CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.94; SRMR = 0.044) supporting a five-factor structure. Moderate levels of intuitive risk perception were found, as well as moderate to low levels of worry and somatic anxiety. Significant correlations between both measures and risk perception were observed. This study confirms the importance of the affective component within risk assessment and findings become highly significant considering the current worldwide pandemic conditions.

Associations between Lifestyle Changes, Risk Perception and Anxiety during COVID-19 Lockdowns: A Case Study in Xi’an

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2022
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

The outbreak of COVID-19 dramatically changed individuals’ lifestyles, which in turn triggered psychological stress and anxiety. Many previous studies have discussed the relationships between lifestyle changes and anxiety and risk perception and anxiety independently. However, few papers have discussed these factors in a comprehensive and systematic manner. We established a six-dimensional system to assess changes in individuals’ lifestyles, which include dietary habits, physical activity (PA), sleep, screen time, smoking and alcohol consumption, and interaction with neighbors. Then, we collected information relating to socio-demographics, lifestyle changes, risk perception, and anxiety, and discussed their associations using multilinear and stepwise logistic regressions. The results show that not all lifestyle changes had an influence on anxiety. Changes in PA and interaction with neighbors were not significantly associated with anxiety. Risk perception was found to be inversely related to anxiety. Changes in dietary habits, family harmony, and net income were negatively related to anxiety among the group with higher risk perception. As individuals perceived a higher severity of COVID-19, the impact of their financial status on anxiety increased. These findings provide a valuable resource for local governments seeking to refine their pandemic strategies by including approaches such as advocating healthy lifestyles and stabilizing the job market to improve individuals’ mental health during lockdowns.

Back to School: Italian Teachers’ Perceptions of the Impact of COVID-19 on Personal and Social Well-Being and Teaching Methods

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

During the COVID-19 pandemic, continuous closing and reopening of schools may have had an impact on teachers’ perception of the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and of the effectiveness of health measures introduced to limit the spread of the virus, with consequences on teaching methods and relational bonds within schools. By means of an online survey, we measured: teachers’ stress, job-satisfaction, self-efficacy and emotions at work, risk-perception of contracting SARS-CoV-2, perception of effectiveness of health measures, teaching methods and social relationships. Participants were 2446 teachers (2142 women and 304 men) all engaged in the four educational stages. Most of the respondents were aged 50 or older (45%), followed by a group aged 41–50 (31%) and by a group aged <40 (24%). We used path analysis to test the impact that COVID-19 had, according to teachers, on teaching methods (Model 1) and social relationships (Model 2). In both models, teachers’ stress was positively directly associated with risk-perception of contracting SARS-CoV-2 (Model 1: β = 0.10; p < 0.001; Model 2: β = 0.09; p < 0.001). Additionally, we found an indirect path between teachers’ stress and risk-perception of contracting SARS-CoV-2 on the one hand, and perception of effectiveness of health measures on the other hand (Model 1: β = 0.02; p < 0.001; Model 2: β = 0.02; p < 0.001). These results suggest that, in emergencies, risk perception level, emotional regulation, and teachers’ stress levels were all key factors affecting teaching methods and relationship quality in schools.

Configurations for positive public behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022
BMC PUBLIC HEALTH

Background The COVID-19 crisis poses considerable threats to public health, and exploring the key configuration conditions of the public behavior response is very important for emergency risk management. Objective This study attempts to reveal differences in the conditional configuration and mechanism of public behavior based on the proposed framework, further make up for the deficiencies of existing research in explaining such issues as “How to promote the public’s protective behavior or reduce the public’s excessive behavior?” and finally provide new evidence and ideas for the government to improve the emergency management system. Methods A total of 735 valid cases were obtained using an online survey and revealed the conditional configuration and mechanism of public behavior differences through a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis based on the proposed public behavioral framework. Results The results show that critical factors including risk communication, trust, risk perception, and negative emotions alone did not constitute a necessary condition for public protective or excessive behavior. The different configurations of influencing factors reveal the complexity of public behavioral risk management, and taking adequate measures to increase public trust and reduce negative public emotions constitute the core path of risk management to enhance positive public behavior. Conclusions The configurations of various influencing factors reveal the complexity of public behavioral risk management. For behavioral risk management, governments should focus on adapting to multiple conditions according to their situations and, under the “overall perspective,” formulate policies based on local conditions and further form a differentiated risk management path. Practically speaking, for the government, taking adequate measures to increase public trust and reduce negative public emotions is the core path of risk management to enhance positive public behavior.

The Impact of Corona Pandemic on Students' Mental Health from the Educational Counselors' Viewpoint

Article

Sep 2023

Corona pandemic has left negative impacts all over the world in general and Jordan in particular. Part of the negative impacts left by the pandemic are the psychological and emotional effects on schools' students. This study aimed to identify the impact of the Corona pandemic on the students' mental health in public schools in the Qasbah of Salt from the educational counselors' viewpoint. Seventy counselors participated in this study. To achieve the study's objectives, the researchers developed a questionnaire consisting of (42) items within three domains: Eating and sleeping disorders, psychological problems, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. SPSS program was used to analyze the collected data. The results showed that corona pandemic has a medium effect on students' mental health in the areas of obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychological problems and depression and that eating and sleep disorders were high among students. There were no statistically significant gender differences among the counselors. However, there were statistically significant differences due to the experience favoring those with ten years or above. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were evident due to the educational qualification favoring those with graduate studies degrees. Based on these results, future suggestions for research, policy and practices are presented.

University Experience during the First Two Waves of COVID-19: Students’ Experiences and Psychological Wellbeing

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2023

Background: This study aimed to analyze Italian university students' psychological needs, learning experiences, and wellbeing during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was carried out during the first wave of the pandemic, and then during the second. A total of 1230 university students (654 in stage 1 and 576 in stage 2) completed a battery of validated questionnaires exploring students' experiences in distance learning, perceived health risks related to COVID-19, and psychological wellbeing. Results: MANOVA showed a significant main effect of the pandemic stage on students' learning experience and wellbeing. In particular, students were more distracted and concerned about their academic careers during the second phase of the pandemic than in the first. Furthermore, the pandemic stage also significantly affected health risk perceptions and fear of COVID-19, which were higher during the second wave of the pandemic. Female gender and concern for a university career were significant risk factors for high levels of negative affectivity and low levels of positive affectivity during the pandemic. In contrast, adherence to COVID-19 restriction measures and good family support were protective factors. Conclusions: It is essential to promote adequate university psychological services to support university students who have experienced the adverse psychological effects of the pandemic and enhance the resilience factors needed to improve their wellbeing in the post-pandemic period.

A multi-modal panel dataset to understand the psychological impact of the pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2023

Besides far-reaching public health consequences, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant psychological impact on people around the world. To gain further insight into this matter, we introduce the Real World Worry Waves Dataset (RW3D). The dataset combines rich open-ended free-text responses with survey data on emotions, significant life events, and psychological stressors in a repeated-measures design in the UK over three years (2020: n = 2441, 2021: n = 1716 and 2022: n = 1152). This paper provides background information on the data collection procedure, the recorded variables, participants’ demographics, and higher-order psychological and text-derived variables that emerged from the data. The RW3D is a unique primary data resource that could inspire new research questions on the psychological impact of the pandemic, especially those that connect modalities (here: text data, psychological survey variables and demographics) over time.

DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS BASED ON INTELLIGENT DATA ANALYSIS TECHNOLOGY UNDER THE BACKGROUND OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Article

Jul 2023
PSYCHIAT DANUB

Yu Ning

Background: In the past few years since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the public has been under tremendous pressure. Family, career, emotions, and other aspects are constantly pressing people's psychological defense of life. Modern urban governance is a centralized reflection of the urban space carrier and resource platform. Strengthening the public's guidance on mental health problems is conducive to promoting the modernization of urban governance system and governance capacity, improving the level of urban governance and the ability of grassroots to resolve conflicts. Subjects and methods: To study people's psychological changes and endurance in this situation, relieve the psychological pressure caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, and ensure people's mental health, we propose an assessment method for psychological health based on data intelligent analysis, which is used to solve public mental health problems in modern urban governance. First, we extract information on sleep quality and physical exercise of people in pandemic areas through an online questionnaire survey. Then, we can achieve an overall picture of the public's mental state in the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing the psychological changes of public and the aggregated information. Results: To evaluate the performance of the public mental state management method proposed in this study, we invited 1000 people to complete a comparative experiment of a questionnaire survey on the Internet. The questionnaire included information about physical activity at home and sleep quality. Home exercise information mainly includes exercise duration and exercise mode, while sleep quality information includes sleep score, sleep duration, and proportion of deep sleep. Conclusion: Through experiments, we find that the method we propose can realize the accurate identification and analysis of the changes of people's psychological conditions in modern cities. Moreover, it can provide data support and technical support for people's psychological counseling under the background of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Social Axioms and Individual Values as Predictors of COVID-19 Fear among University Students from Countries with Different Government Strategies for Managing the Pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023

N.V. Murashcenkova

Background. Effective prevention of psychological trauma by fear of COVID-19 requires the study of the relationships between the psychological and contextual factors that can influence the level of this fear. The social axioms, individual values, and government strategies for managing the pandemic have not yet been studied as a system of psychological and contextual factors contributing to COVID-19 fear. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the level of COVID-19 fear and the characteristics of the relationships between the social axioms, individual values, and fear of COVID-19 among university students from countries with different government strategies for managing the pandemic. Design. University students from countries with different government strategies for managing the pandemic (208 Belarusians, 200 Kazakhstanis, and 250 Russians ages 18 to 25) participated in an anonymous online survey. The respondents filled in questionnaires that assessed their manifestations of COVID-19 fear (COVID-19 Fear Scale: FCV-19S) as the dependent variable; the “Social Axiom Questionnaire” (QSA-31) and the “Portrait Value Questionnaire” (ESS-21) measured the social axioms and individual values as the independent variables. Results. Fear of COVID-19 reached a higher level among the students from the countries with the weakest (Belarus) and the strongest (Kazakhstan) restrictive measures during the pandemic. Dysfunctional fear of COVID-19 was manifest among those Belarusian students who attached the greatest importance to self-enhancement values and the fate control axiom, and the least importance to the social complexity axiom, as well as among those Russian students for whom the religiosity social axiom was significant and the social complexity axiom was not. For Kazakhstani students, social axioms and values were not predictors of dysfunctional fear of COVID-19.

More susceptible psychological status of front-line medical staff than temporary workers in China during a public health emergency: a cross-sectional study

Preprint

Full-text available

May 2023

Background Our study aimed to investigate the psychological status of medical staff and temporary workers during a public health emergency in China and analyze the relevant factors affecting the psychological symptoms. Methods A total of 380 participants were included in a cross-sectional online survey in a fangcang shelter hospital in Hangzhou, China, during a wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Psychological Questionnaires for Emergent Events of Public Health (PQEEPH) was applied to investigate psychological status of medical staff and temporary workers. Multiple linear regression models were built to analyze the relevant factors affecting the psychological symptoms. Results Of 380 participants, women accounted for a high proportion of medical staff, and the majority of temporary workers were men. Medical staff had higher psychological symptom scores in depression, fear, neurasthenia and hypochondria than temporary workers. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that higher risk perception and occupational exposure of medical staff were significantly related to worse psychological symptoms, and emergency management capacity was negatively correlated with psychological symptoms of medical staff. Conclusion Our findings indicated that medical staff experienced more serious psychological symptoms than temporary workers during public health emergency, and protecting medical staff from psychological disturbance would be of great importance to the development of medical system. Our study suggest that risk perception and protective actions should be actively improved to reduce information avoidance and develop positive psychological status, which provide scientific basis for developing psychological intervention measures when there is emergent event of public health in the future.

More susceptible psychological status of front-line medical staff than temporary workers in China during public health emergency related to COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

Preprint

Full-text available

Apr 2023

Our study aimed to investigate the psychological status of medical staff and temporary workers in a fangcang shelter hospital in China and analyze the relevant factors affecting the psychological symptoms. A total of 380 participants were included in a cross-sectional online survey in a fangcang shelter hospital in Hangzhou, China, during a wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Psychological Questionnaires for Emergent Events of Public Health (PQEEPH) was applied to investigate psychological status of medical staff and temporary workers. Multiple linear regression models were built to analyze the relevant factors affecting the psychological symptoms. Of 380 participants, women accounted for a high proportion of medical staff, and the majority of temporary workers were men. Medical staff had higher psychological symptom scores in depression, fear, neurasthenia and hypochondria than temporary workers. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that higher risk perception and occupational exposure of medical staff were significantly related to worse psychological symptoms, and emergency management capacity was negatively correlated with psychological symptoms of medical staff. Our findings indicated that medical staff experienced more serious psychological symptoms than temporary workers during public health emergency, and protecting medical staff from psychological disturbance is of great importance to the development of medical system. Our study suggested that risk perception and protective actions should be actively improved to reduce information avoidance and develop positive psychological status, which provided scientific basis for developing psychological intervention measures when there is emergent event of public health in the future.

Investigation on the Stressors and Coping Styles of College Students in the Normalization Stage of Epidemic Prevention and Control

Article

Jan 2023

亚菲刘

Changes in socioeconomic resources and mental health after the second COVID-19 wave (2020-2021): a longitudinal study in Switzerland

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023

Background: During the 2020/2021 winter, the labour market was under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in socioeconomic resources during this period could have influenced individual mental health. This association may have been mitigated or exacerbated by subjective risk perceptions, such as perceived risk of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 or perception of the national economic situation. Therefore, we aimed to determine if changes in financial resources and employment situation during and after the second COVID-19 wave were prospectively associated with depression, anxiety and stress, and whether perceptions of the national economic situation and of the risk of getting infected modified this association. Methods: One thousand seven hundred fifty nine participants from a nation-wide population-based eCohort in Switzerland were followed between November 2020 and September 2021. Financial resources and employment status were assessed twice (Nov2020-Mar2021, May-Jul 2021). Mental health was assessed after the second measurement of financial resources and employment status, using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). We modelled DASS-21 scores with linear regression, adjusting for demographics, health status, social relationships and changes in workload, and tested interactions with subjective risk perceptions. Results: We observed scores above thresholds for normal levels for 16% (95%CI = 15-18) of participants for depression, 8% (95%CI = 7-10) for anxiety, and 10% (95%CI = 9-12) for stress. Compared to continuously comfortable or sufficient financial resources, continuously precarious or insufficient resources were associated with worse scores for all outcomes. Increased financial resources were associated with higher anxiety. In the working-age group, shifting from full to part-time employment was associated with higher stress and anxiety. Perceiving the Swiss economic situation as worrisome was associated with higher anxiety in participants who lost financial resources or had continuously precarious or insufficient resources. Conclusion: This study confirms the association of economic stressors and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the exacerbating role of subjective risk perception on this association.

SPARK Resilience in the workplace: Effectiveness of a brief online resilience intervention during the COVID-19 lockdown

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023
PLOS ONE

Science asserts that resilience at work can be developed, with evidence pinpointing to multiple resources that can be built through deliberate coaching, training and interventions. This paper presents a mixed-methods study exploring the effectiveness of group coaching using SPARK Resilience training, a model and a structured coaching protocol that have been administered in educational and workplace settings in face-to-face format and remotely. The study used a non-randomised controlled design with a pre-test and a post-test in a sample of French adults (N = 101 in the intervention group and N = 86 in the waitlist control group). The SPARK Resilience programme was administered online with 8 sessions spanning 4 weeks in April 2020, during the very early stage of the pandemic and lockdown in France. The results indicate beneficial effects of the intervention on meaning, resilience, positive affect, and perceived stress outcomes (d in the .40-.56 range), as well as weaker effects on negative affect (d = .35) and work engagement (d = .21). Moderator analyses suggest that the effects of the intervention on perceived stress and negative affect tended to be stronger for older adults. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention and provided 151 responses to three open-ended questions that were coded using thematic analysis, revealing specific benefits of the intervention. The findings are interpreted within the pandemic context, showing the way resilience interventions can help people overcome unprecedented challenges.

Advances in the Study of Factors Influencing of the Risk Perception in the Doctor-Patient Relationship: Based on the Medical Side Perspective

Chapter

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Did Depression, Schizophrenia, and Alcohol Use Increase During the COVID-19 Pandemic Even in Low-Risk Regions? An Analysis of the 2017–2020 National Health Insurance Data in Tottori Prefecture

Article

Feb 2023

Background This study aimed to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of medical consultations for depression, schizophrenia, and alcohol dependence in low-risk regions. Methods National Health Insurance enrolments from March 2017 to March 2021 in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, where there were minimal COVID-19 cases in 2020, were included in this study. The all-cause mortality and proportion of National Health Insurance members with depression, schizophrenia, and alcohol dependence in the financial years (FY) 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 were calculated. The proportion in FY 2020 was compared with the average proportion from FY2017 to FY2019 and the proportion in FY2019. Results The all-cause mortality for men aged 80–99 years and women aged 70–89 years decreased in FY2020. The proportion of men aged 20–29 years with depression increased to 4.1% in FY2020 compared with 3.0% in FY2019, while the proportion of women aged 20–29 years with depression was 4.4% in FY2017, 4.8% in FY2018, 4.8% in FY2019, and 5.5% in FY2020, confirming an increasing trend from before the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportion of men aged 30–39 years and 60–69 years with schizophrenia increased and that of women aged 40–49 years, 60–69 years, and 90–99 years with schizophrenia also increased, even before the pandemic. The proportion of people with alcohol use disorder has not changed significantly since FY2017. Conclusion The pandemic has led to an increased proportion of men aged 20–29 years with depression, even in low-risk regions.

How Does COVID-19 Risk Perception Affect Sense of Control? The Roles of Death Anxiety and Confucian Coping

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

This research examined the impact of COVID-19 risk perception on sense of control, testing the hypotheses that COVID-19 risk perception would reduce sense of control and that this effect would be mediated by death anxiety and moderated by Confucian coping. A series of six studies were conducted with Chinese participants (N = 2202) and employed different research designs in lab and real-life settings. Across the studies, we found that the perceived risk of COVID-19 impaired sense of control. Studies 3a to 5 further revealed that death anxiety mediated the adverse effect of COVID-19 risk perception on sense of control, and Studies 4 to 5 revealed that Confucian coping strategies alleviated the adverse effect of COVID-19 risk perception on sense of control. These findings shed new light on the psychological impact of risk perception in times of crisis and identify mitigating factors and boundary conditions.

Психологическое (не)благополучие студентов российских вузов в условиях пандемии COVID-19: уязвимые группы и связь с характеристиками образовательного опыта

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Студенты являются одной из наиболее уязвимых социальных групп с точки зрения психологического благополучия. Зарубежные исследования показывают, что пандемия COVID-19 и форсированный переход к дистанционному обучению выступили дополнительными факторами стресса, снижения уровня психологического благополучия и ментального здоровья студентов. При этом фиксируется недостаток исследований в отношении российских студентов. Предлагаемая статья направлена на восполнение этого пробела и посвящена анализу распространенности признаков психологического неблагополучия среди российских студентов и связи признаков психологического неблагополучия и формата обучения студентов в период пандемии. Исследование основано на данных онлайн-опроса студентов российских вузов, реализованного в 2021 г. (N = 25400 студентов). Для оценки психологического неблагополучия студентов использовался стандартизированный опросник Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), который нацелен на предварительное выявление степени выраженности симптомов депрессивного состояния. Результаты исследования показывают, что для подавляющего большинства студентов характерны симптомы депрессии в той или иной степени проявления. При этом наблюдается связь между степенью выраженности признаков психологического неблагополучия студентов и полом, социально-экономическим положением и такими аспектами образовательного опыта, как форма (очная, очно-заочная, заочная) и курс обучения, направление подготовки и формат проведения занятий (очный, дистанционный или смешанный). Показывается, что смешанный формат обучения, когда часть занятий проходит в дистанционном формате, а часть — в очном, связан с увеличением вероятности признаков психологического неблагополучия у студентов. Благодарность. Исследование выполнено при поддержке Программы развития Томского государственного университета (Приоритет-2030).

Psychological Status of Men Who Have Sex with Men during COVID-19: An Online Cross-Sectional Study in Western China

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Background: The psychological status of men who have sex with men (MSM) as a vulnerable population during COVID-19 is worthy of attention. However, studies of Chinese MSM are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychological status and influencing factors of MSM population and to provide a scientific basis for this group to actively respond to public health emergencies. Methods: From June to September 2020, we conducted an online survey. MSMs were recruited through collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and peer recommendations. The variables we collected included four aspects: demographic and HIV-related characteristics; COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; COVID-19-related risk perception; epidemic exposure. The psychological status was assessed by the Psychological Questionnaire for Emergent Events of Public Health (PQEEPH), which defined the psychological status as five primary disorders: depression, neurasthenia, fear, anxiety, and hypochondria. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the influences of COVID-19-related factors on the psychological status. Results: We surveyed 412 MSM online during COVID-19. The five psychological status of high-risk states accounted for 16.99% (depression), 14.08% (neurasthenia), 16.75% (fear), 16.50% (anxiety), and 18.20% (hypochondria), respectively. Not being well-informed about the causes of COVID-19 (p = 0.020) and having experienced epidemic exposure (p = 0.006) were able to promote the occurrence of depression. Lack of knowledge of the curative effect of COVID-19 has a higher risk of occurrence neurasthenia (p < 0.001). Being afraid of the novel coronavirus (p < 0.001) promoted fear. The perceived prevalence of the epidemic (p = 0.003), being more susceptible to COVID-19 (p < 0.001), and not being well-informed about the causes of COVID-19 (p = 0.005) had a positive effect on anxiety. Considering that the epidemic was not effectively controlled (p = 0.017), being more susceptible to COVID-19 (p < 0.001) was a contributing factor to the hypochondria. Conclusions: The incidence of psychological disorders in Chinese MSM was higher than that in other groups during COVID-19. Factors associated with COVID-19 may cause a range of mental health problems in this population. Greater attention should be paid to the mental health status of special populations during the epidemic, and effective preventive education and intervention measures should be taken.

People’s Perception towards COVID-19 Delta Variant in Bangladesh

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Bangladesh has detected a newly mutated Delta variant that is getting more hazardous for the entire world. Since this variant is far more hazardous than the previous one, the purpose of this study is to determine people's reactions to this variant, how to prevent the spread of the Delta variant, and what factors can lead to government failures to control it in Bangladesh. Data were obtained from 417 participants using convenient sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were the methods of analysis employed. The results showed that in Bangladesh, persons aged 30 to 49 were more likely than others to be aware of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Since social media and newspapers are important sources of information, it was discovered that those who did not use social media or read newspapers had low perception of the new COVID-19 Delta variant. Furthermore, individuals who had a COVID-19 infection history together with their friends and family members had a greater perception of the COVID-19 Delta variant than those who did not. The results also showed that rural people in Bangladesh had low perception of the new COVID-19 Delta variant than the urban people. The study recommends that government should force everyone to wear masks and provide alternative income-generating activities for marginalized individuals in order to limit the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Moreover, government should create more awareness and intensify health education in order to restrict the spread of the new COVID-19 variant.

Risk Perceptions, Level of Government Trust, and Psychological Distress During COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Purpose: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading worldwide, causing mental health concerns among people. People's perceptions of the disease affect their psychological adaptation and health outcomes. In this study, we present people's perceptions of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), level of government trust, and their psychological distress during the pandemic for examining the impact of peoples' COVID-19 perceptions on their mental health. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted through a telephone survey in Taiwan in April 2020. Participants were randomly selected for telephone screening using a computer-assisted telephone interviewer system. A total of 1098 participants aged more than 20 years participated in the survey. Results: The mean age of participants was 47.7 ± 16.4 years. After controlling for covariates, participants who were worried about contracting COVID-19, those who believed that they had a chance of being infected with COVID-19, those who were reluctant to visit the hospital for fear of contracting the virus, those who felt that the pandemic had affected their daily life, and those with low levels of trust in the government's capacity to manage the pandemic had anxiety, hostility, depression, interpersonal sensitivity/inferiority, and psychological symptoms. Conclusion: People's perception of COVID-19 and public's trust in the government's ability to respond to the pandemic are related to psychological distress. Although the Taiwanese government may have undertaken effective epidemic control measures to address with the COVID-19 pandemic, this crisis may have still caused mental health problems in the general population. Health professionals and policy makers should pay more attention to high-risk groups among those at risk for developing mental health problems.

Public Risk Perception Attribution Model and Governance Path in COVID-19: A Perspective Based on Risk Information

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Background: Risk perception is a key factor influencing the public's behavioral response to major public health events. The research on public risk perception promotes the emergency management system to adapt to the needs of modern development. This article is based on a risk information perspective, using the COVID-19 event as an example. From the micro and macro perspectives, the influencing factors of public risk perception in major public health events in China are extracted, and the attribution model and index system of public risk perception are established. Methods: In this paper, the five-level Likert scale is used to collect and measure the risk perception variable questionnaire through the combination of online and offline methods (a total of 550 questionnaires, the overall Alpha coefficient of the questionnaire is 0.955, and the KMO test coefficient t=0.941), and through independent samples t-test, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis and other methods to draw relevant conclusions. Results: The results showed that gender and age were significantly associated with risk perception (p<0.005), and education level was significantly negatively associated with risk perception (p <0 0.005). Risk information attention and risk perception were significantly positively correlated (p<0.005), media credibility was significantly positively correlated with risk perception (p<0.005), while risk information identification and media exposure had no significant interaction with risk perception (p=0.125, p=0.352). Conclusion: Factors such as gender, age, education level, place of residence, media exposure, media credibility, risk information attention, and recognition lead to different levels of risk perception. This conclusion helps to provide a basis for relevant departments to conduct public risk management of major public health events based on differences in risk perceptions.

Psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy assessed in a four-waves survey

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2022

COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the mental health and well-being (WB) of citizens. This cross-sectional study included 4 waves of data collection aimed at identifying profiles of individuals with different levels of WB. The study included a representative stratified sample of 10,013 respondents in Italy. The WHO 5-item well-being scale (WHO-5) was used for the assessment of WB. Different supervised machine learning approaches (multinomial logistic regression, partial least-square discriminant analysis—PLS-DA—, classification tree—CT—) were applied to identify individual characteristics with different WB scores, first in waves 1–2 and, subsequently, in waves 3 and 4. Forty-one percent of participants reported “Good WB”, 30% “Poor WB”, and 28% “Depression”. Findings carried out using multinomial logistic regression show that Resilience was the most important variable able for discriminating the WB across all waves. Through the PLS-DA, Increased Unhealthy Behaviours proved to be the more important feature in the first two waves, while Financial Situation gained most relevance in the last two. COVID-19 Perceived Risk was relevant, but less than the other variables, across all waves. Interestingly, using the CT we were able to establish a cut-off for Resilience (equal to 4.5) that discriminated good WB with a probability of 65% in wave 4. Concluding, we found that COVID-19 had negative implications for WB. Governments should support evidence-based strategies considering factors that influence WB (i.e., Resilience, Perceived Risk, Healthy Behaviours, and Financial Situation).

Program Vaksinasi dalam Rangka Pencegahan Covid 19 di Sentra Vaksinasi Hang Jebat Jakarta

Article

Oct 2022

ABSTRAK Pandemi COVID 19 dirasakan oleh seluruh negara di dunia termasuk Indonesia. Penyebaran virus SARS Cov-2 yang sangat cepat membuat pemerintah mengambil langkah pencegahan penyebaran dengan vaksinasi. kegiatan ini memberikan gambaran terkait kegiatan vaksinasi yang dilaksanakan dan karakteristik responden penerima vaksinasi. kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat bekerja sama dengan Kementerian Kesehatan ini dilaksanakan di Sentra Vaksinasi Hang Jebat Jakarta dengan melibatkan 116 responden. kegiatan dimulai dengan pendataan kemudian pemeriksaan kesehatan, penyuntikan vaksinasi dan observasi pasca tindakan. Sebagian besar responden penerima vaksinasi dalam keadaan sehat ditandai dengan suhu tubuh dan tekanan darah normal (100%, 65.5%), bekerja (63.8%), berpendidikan tinggi (49.1%) dan rerata usia 47 tahun. Vaksinasi menjadi salah satu program yang efektif dalam memeroleh imunitas terhadap COVID 19. Kegiatan vaksinasi dalam skala lebih besar dan periodik dapat berlanjut. Kata Kunci : COVID 19, Pencegahan, Pengabdian masyarakat,Vaksinasi ABSTRACT COVID 19 pandemic felt by the entire country in the world included Indonesia. The rapid spread of SARS Cov-2 make Indonesian government take preventive solution through vaccination. To describe vaccination program and characteristic of respondent who participate in vaccination program. this community service coordinate with Ministry of Health held in Vaccination Centre Hang Jebat, Jakarta involving 116 respondents. This community service begin with data collection then health assessment, vaccinating injection and observation. Most of vaccine receiver are health proven by normal body temperature and blood pressure (100%, 65.5%), had worked (63.8%), high education (49.1%) and in average age of 47 years old. vaccination is one of the effective program to get COVID 19 immunity. Big scale of vaccination is needed. Keywords: COVID 19, Prevention, Community Service, Vaccination

Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion as Mediators of the Relationship between Alexithymia and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Postpartum depression (PPD) is common after birth and can have a profound effect on women and their families. It is therefore important to understand the conditions and factors that lead to the occurrence and maintenance of PPD. The first aim of the current study was to identify whether there is a relationship between alexithymia and postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) in a sample of Romanian mothers. The second aim was to explore whether self-criticism and self-compassion mediate the relationship between alexithymia and PPDS. The current cross-sectional study included 307 mothers with babies aged between four weeks and one year. The results show that alexithymia, self-compassion, self-criticism, PPDS all correlated with one another, and self-criticism, self-compassion and alexithymia are significant predictors of PPDS. Moreover, self-criticism and self-compassion mediated the relationship between alexithymia and PPDS. A psychological therapy that increases self-compassion and reduces alexithymia and self-criticism may be beneficial for preventing symptoms of PPD.

Understanding cultural factors in mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: when collectivism meets a tight culture

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022
CURR PSYCHOL

The long-standing pathogen prevalence hypothesis suggests that collectivism can protect from epidemics and pandemics in terms of psychological well-being. However, studies exploring the protective mechanism induced when collectivism meets cultural tightness (the strength of social norms and tolerance for deviant behavior) are few. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the protective effect of collectivism in detail considering loose and tight cultural contexts. The sample comprised 2001 Chinese participants (Mage = 18.41 ± 2.388 years; 50.2% female). Moderated regression analyses indicated that more perceived risk of COVID-19 predicted severe mental health responses (i.e., depression and anxiety), collectivism moderated this positive relationship but individualism did not. Notably, the protective effect of collectivism is especially evident in tight cultures but ineffective in loose cultures. This study emphasized that the protective effects of collectivism on mental health during a pandemic should be considered within the framework of cultural tightness. This study’s findings may advance knowledge about the relationship between cultural type and mental health during epidemics.

Who spread COVID-19 (mis)information online? Differential informedness, psychological mechanisms, and intervention strategies

Article

Sep 2022
COMPUT HUM BEHAV

Based on a regional survey conducted in five cities of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Wuhan) in January 2020 and a national survey experiment conducted in 31 provinces of China in December 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated the intentions for the misinformed, uninformed, and informed individuals to spread COVID-19 related (mis)information online and the psychological factors affecting their distinct sharing behaviors. We found that (1) both misinformed and uninformed individuals were more likely to spread misinformation and less likely to share fact as compared with the informed ones; (2) the reasons for the misinformed individuals to spread misinformation resembled those for the informed ones to share truth, but the uninformed ones shared misinformation based on different motivations; and (3) information that arouses positive emotions were more likely to go viral than that arouses negative feelings in the context of COVID-19, regardless of facticity. The implications of these findings were discussed in terms of how people react to misinformation when coping with risk, and intervention strategies were proposed to combat COVID-19 or other types of misinformation in risk scenarios.

Risk perception of contracting COVID-19 among healthcare workers

Article

Jan 2022

https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-6369/18721en2022v47ecov4 Objectives: to evaluate the dimensional validity of the perception scale of the risk of contracting COVID-19 and its association with sociodemographic and occupational factors, as well as with sleep complaints, among healthcare workers. Methods: cross-sectional study, carried out between May and August 2020, involving healthcare workers from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They filled in an online questionnaire regarding their work activities, risk perception of contracting COVID-19, and health behavior. We used factor analysis and binomial and multinomial regression models, adjusted for confounders. Results: 2,996 workers participated. Factor analysis confirmed the scale unidimensionality. Greater chances of high-risk perception were reported by women; caretakers of children/ elderly; those with a work journey of more than 40h/week; workers from primary health care and emergency units, and from general and specialized hospitals. High risk perception was associated with altered sleep duration (OR = 2.39; 95%CI = 1.95; 2.94), use (OR = 2.08; 95%CI = 1.67; 2.58) and increased dose of sleep medications (OR = 1.91; 95%CI = 1.47; 2.48). Conclusion: risk perception was associated with women, caretakers of children/elderly, longer working hours, sleep complaints, and use of sleeping pills. Investigating factors associated with stressful events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can support actions planning aimed at preventing diseases among healthcare workers.

Percepção de risco de adoecimento por COVID-19 entre trabalhadores de unidades de saúde

Article

Jan 2022

Perceptions of ethical cosmetics: Health behaviors during the COVID ‐19 pandemic

Article

Jul 2023

Ethical consumption is considered one of the key issues of the early twenty‐first century, and the demand for natural and chemical‐free products has continued to grow. This study aims to explore consumers' perceptions of ethical cosmetics during the COVID‐19 pandemic; measuring the self‐dimensions that influence their opinions on the potential benefits of healthy cosmetics and measuring these impacts on purchase intention and purchase recommendation. A survey of 483 qualified respondents was conducted through a market research company. The research model, which mobilized constructs drawn from the literature, was analyzed using a partial least square approach via SmartPLS3.3.9 software. Our results demonstrate the direct impact of brand social responsibility (BSR), personal‐positive (PP), and social‐positive (SP) on word‐of‐mouth (WOM). The influence of self‐association on PP is validated but rejected for SP. We show that extended‐self has a direct effect on PP but not on SP, while self‐design has an impact on both variables. Finally, the variables SP, PP, and BSR have a direct impact on the intention to buy healthy cosmetics but not on the WOM construct. As such, this study contributes to the literature on the perception of ethical/healthy cosmetics and consumer behavior and perceptions.

Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Hospital-based Healthcare Workers during the Surge Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Chinese Mainland: A Multicenter Cross-sectional Study

Article

Aug 2023
QJM-INT J MED

Background: From November 2022 to February 2023, the Chinese mainland experienced a surge in COVID-19 infection and hospitalization, and the hospital-based healthcare workers (HCWs) might suffer serious psychological crisis during this period. This study aims to assess the depressive and anxiety symptoms among HCWs during the surge of COVID-19 pandemic, to provide possible reference on protecting mental health of HCWs in future infectious disease outbreaks. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out among hospital-based HCWs in the Chinese mainland from January 5 to February 9, 2023. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were used to measure depressive and anxiety symptoms. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to identify influencing factors. Results: A total of 6522 hospital-based HCWs in the Chinse mainland were included in this survey. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among the HCWs was 70.75%, and anxiety symptoms was 47.87%. The HCWs who perceived higher risk of COVID-19 infection, and those who had higher work intensity were more likely to experience depressive and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, higher levels of mindfulness, resilience, and perceived social support were negatively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: This study revealed that a high proportion of HCWs in the Chinese mainland suffered from mental health disturbances during the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Resilience, mindfulness, and perceived social support are important protective factors of HCWs' mental health. Tailored interventions, such as mindfulness practice, should be implemented to alleviate psychological symptoms of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic or other similar events in the future.

Construction of Community Perceptions on Government Effort in Managing the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Covid Score-10 Approach

Article

Aug 2022

Countries worldwide are still struggling to deal with the spread of COVID-19. No country in the World has been able to get out of the pandemic yet. The number of patients dying, recovering and getting sick shows a graph of increasing every day. To stop the spread of COVID-19 requires uniformity and support from the community. The expected result of this study is to know and construct knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of the community towards the Covid-19 handling program that has been and will be carried out by the government. The research method uses a quantitative descriptive approach to Covid-10 with an online survey method using a questionnaire provided in the form of a google form application. Data collection was carried out by stratified random sampling and disseminated through the media with a sample of 1,191 respondents in the DIY Region. Most respondents (95.1%) supported the government's efforts to change behavior in the face of the pandemic. However, 42.1% of respondents felt the government had created the right programs and policies.

Risk perception and gratitude mediate the negative relationship between COVID-19 management satisfaction and public anxiety

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2023

In this study, we explored whether satisfaction with government management, perception of risk, and gratitude influenced public anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Using a cross-sectional, anonymous and confidential online survey, a nationwide sample of Chinese adults (N = 876) was targeted between March 25–March 30, 2020, a period in which newly confirmed cases significantly declined in China. The anxiety level was decreased as compared to that assessed during the peak period. Multiple parallel mediation modeling demonstrated that risk perception and gratitude partially mediated the relationship between satisfaction with government management and public anxiety. Increasing satisfaction and gratitude, as well as reducing risk perception contribute to the public’s mental health. The results may shed light on the positive factors for psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and may aid potential strategies for the policy maker, the public, and the clinic to regulate negative emotions or future emerging infectious diseases.

The relationship between mindfulness, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of correlational studies

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2023

Background The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an environment in which numerous determinants of poor mental health are intensified. Lockdown, re-lockdown, and media coverage of the spread of the virus, have the potential to contribute to increased levels of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness may act as a buffer against COVID-19-related depressive and anxiety disorders. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for any study published between January 2020 and March 2022. In this study, Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 3.3 software was applied to evaluate the effect size by random effect model. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis was evaluated using indicators Q and I ² indicators. Three methods were used to test for publication bias: funnel plot, Classic Fail-safe N, and Egger’s linear regression. According to the features of the included articles, subgroup analysis was utilized for the moderator analysis of this study. Results The analysis finally included 12 articles (16 samples, N = 10,940) and obtained 26 independent effect sizes. In accordance with the meta-analysis, in the random effect model, the correlation between mindfulness and anxiety was −0.330 ( p < 0.001), and the correlation between mindfulness and depression was −0.353 ( p < 0.001), which supported the effect of mindfulness on anxiety and depression. In the meta-analysis of the correlation between mindfulness and anxiety, study region had an essential moderating effect ( p < 0.001). The Sample type did not produce a significant moderating effect ( p = 0.190). The mode of action of mindfulness was a significant moderator ( p = 0.038). In the meta-analysis of the linkage between mindfulness and depression, regional differences had a significant moderating effect ( p < 0.001). The sample type had no discernible moderating impact ( p = 0.213). The mode of action of mindfulness was a significant moderator ( p = 0.003). Conclusion Our meta-analysis indicated that there was an essential correlation between public mindfulness and mental health. Our systematic review added evidence supporting the beneficial nature of mindfulness. A cascading development of beneficial traits that improve mental health may start with mindfulness.

Quality risk and responsive actions in sourcing/procurement: an empirical study of food fraud cases in the UK

Article

May 2022

It is never an easy task to govern contemporary food systems and prevent contaminated foods from reaching further down the chains. This study aims to investigate how UK managers in food supply chains have perceived food fraud risk in their supply chain and to identify what their actions could be in response to the threat of food fraud. The study adopts the psychometric paradigm approach to measure risk perception and uses the data collected from 113 UK food practitioners to identify the determinants of their responsive actions. The results highlight that most managers have perceived high uncertainty in the food supply chain and considered the disruption of information flow as a major concern in dealing with food fraud. Therefore, this study suggests that putting effort into practices to improve supply chain visibility and facilitate the flow of information are weighted as important in the food fraud mitigation journey. Policy makers should also make better use of the current quality assurance schemes for proactive food quality control and fraud prevention; government agencies should improve the risk communication systems for trustworthy information dissemination.

ความเชื่อสมคบคิดในภาวะการระบาดระดับโลกของโรคโควิด-19: ที่มา ผลลัพธ์ทางสังคม และแนวทางการรับมือกับความเชื่อสมคบคิด [Conspiracy beliefs during COVID-19 pandemic: Antecedents, social consequences, and guidelines on dealing with conspiracy beliefs]

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022

Phatthanakit Chobthamkit

ภาวะการระบาดระดับโลกของโรคโควิด-19 เป็นปรากฏการณ์ที่ส่งผลกระทบต่อผู้คนทั่วโลกหลาย ๆ ด้าน ในขณะเดียวกันมนุษย์พยายามเสาะแสวงหาข้อมูลต่างๆที่เกี่ยวกับการระบาด แต่กลับพบ “ความเชื่อหรือทฤษฎีสมคบคิด” ที่เกี่ยวกับโรคโควิด-19 ที่ดูไม่น่าเชื่อถือและสมเหตุสมผล ซึ่งมีบางคนกลับปักใจเชื่อและส่งผลกระทบต่อความคิดและพฤติกรรมมนุษย์ บทความนี้นำเสนอมุมมองทางจิตวิทยาของความเชื่อสมคบคิดเพื่ออธิบายที่มาผลกระทบของความเชื่อสมคบคิดที่มีต่อผลลัพธ์ทางสังคมทั้งพฤติกรรมป้องกันการติดเชื้อ การแพร่ระบาด และการช่วยเหลือกันลดลง อคติ การซื้อด้วยความตื่นตระหนก การกักตุน และความรุนแรง และเสนอแนวทางการรับมือความเชื่อสมคบคิด The COVID-19 pandemic is a phenomenon which has affected people all over the world. At the same time, when people have tried to seek for pandemic-related information, they found COVID-19-related“conspiracy beliefs or theories” which some people believed and this affected their thoughts and behaviors. This article proposes a psychological perspective of conspiracy beliefs to explain the origin and the effects of conspiracy beliefs and their social consequences including less preventive and helping behaviors, prejudice, panic buying, hoarding and violence, and suggests the guidelines on dealing with conspiracy beliefs.

Evaluating the Influence of Service Quality, Hedonic, and Utilitarian Value on Shopper’s Behavioral Intentions in Urban Shopping Malls during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Shopping malls are subjected to a lot of changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the Philippines. The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of service quality, hedonic, and utilitarian value of malls on shopping mall goers’ behavioral intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. SERVQUAL five dimensions were utilized to represent the service quality aspect, while utilitarian and hedonic values are used to embody the shopping mall values among Filipino citizens. Additionally, we included convenience and social experience as part of our model, to which relationships were assessed toward the utilitarian and hedonic shopping mall values, respectively. An online survey was distributed and collected 519 valid responses among Filipino shopping mall goers. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), results showed that for service quality aspect, tangibles, empathy, and assurance had significant effects on shopper’s shopping mall satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, both shopping mall values present positive effects on shopper’s satisfaction on which utilitarian value gave the strongest influence in the overall model, followed by the hedonic value. Convenience and social experience also showed positive effects on utilitarian and hedonic values, respectively. The utilized extended framework from SERVQUAL dimensions and hedonic and utilitarian values to measure satisfaction and behavioral intentions was seen to be applicable to measure human behavior and lifestyle studies. Overall, the satisfaction from both service quality and shopping mall values aspect strongly influences shoppers’ behavioral intention in going to the mall.

Representations of depression and schizophrenia in the community: The role of illness and risk perceptions on help-seeking intentions

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Objective Illness perceptions (IPs) are important in understanding human reactions to illnesses, including mental health disorders. They influence risk perceptions and several variables relevant to the adjustment to a disorder, treatment seeking, and health outcomes. This study sought to compare IP, risk perception, and help-seeking intention for depression and schizophrenia in a community sample and to assess the mediating role of risk perception in the relationship between IP and help-seeking intention. Materials and methods A total of 380 adults participated in this study and filled out self-report measures of IPs, risk perceptions, and help-seeking intention. The previous diagnosis of depression was used to control the comparisons between the two disorders. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the mediation relationship. Results Perceived consequences, expected timeline, lack of personal control, and symptom identity were higher for schizophrenia, while lack of treatment control and concern were higher for depression. An interaction occurred with a previous diagnosis of depression for several dimensions of IP. Concerning the SEM, a valid model was obtained for depression, explaining 15.5% of help-seeking intentions, but not for schizophrenia. Conclusion The results show that the general population represents depression and schizophrenia differently. These representations are influenced by having experienced depression, and that illness and risk perceptions contribute to explaining the intention to seek help. Considering these illness representations makes it possible to understand the general population’s emotional and cognitive reactions to mental health disorders.

Risk perception of COVID-19 among college students in China: Latent profile analysis

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Background The outbreak of the new coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on people's mental and physical health. Meanwhile, people's perceptions of risk may influence their emotional states and preventative behavior during an epidemic. Previous research have revealed the diversity and uniqueness of risk perception, and college students may have a different perspective on risk perception. The objective of this study was to describe the subtypes of risk perception for COVID-19 among college students in China, identify the subtypes' traits, and investigate their affecting variables. Methods College students from 10 Chinese provinces participated in a cross-sectional study ( n = 2,000) that from January 16 to 30, 2022. The latent profiles and influencing factors for risk perception were investigated using latent profile analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and multinomial logistical regression. Results The sample group of this survey was 1,946 students, and the response rate was 97.3%. The best model was suggested to consist of three profiles: “neutral risk perception” (20.3%), “perception seriously without susceptible” (52.8%), and “low risk perception” (26.9%). Risk perception of COVID-19 was positively associated with attention to negation information ( r = 0.372, p < 0.01), anxiety ( r = 0.232, p < 0.01), and depression ( r = 0.241, p < 0.01), and negatively associated with perceived social support ( r = −0.151, p < 0.01). Logistic-regressions analyses mainly revealed that the risk perception of three profiles related to having chronic diseases ( OR = 2.704, p < 0.01), medical major ( OR = 0.595, p < 0.01; OR = 0.614, p < 0.05), without having COVID-19 confirmed cases around ( OR = 0.539, p < 0.01), attention to negative information ( OR = 1.073, p < 0.001; OR = 1.092, p < 0.001), and perceived social support ( OR = 0.0.975, p < 0.01). Conclusions The level of risk perception for COVID-19 among Chinese college students was unsatisfactory, and the risk perception of COVID-19 had significant group characteristics and heterogeneity. Colleges and public health practitioners could have a theoretical and empirical basis to implement risk perception intervention efforts by identifying latent subgroups during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Authenticity Mediates the Relationship between Risk Perception of COVID-19 and Subjective Well-Being: A Daily Diary Study

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2022

The present research investigated whether risk perception of COVID-19 relates to subjective well-being and the mediating role of authenticity in this association. We conducted a 12-day daily diary study with 133 undergraduates (Mage = 19.9 years, SD = 1.27 years; 64 females). Participants self-reported risk perception of COVID-19, authenticity, and subjective well-being every day. Results revealed that (1) risk perception of COVID-19 was negatively related to subjective well-being at the interindividual level; (2) authenticity mediated the relationship between risk perception of COVID-19 and subjective well-being at the interindividual level but not at the intraindividual level. In general, findings suggested that risk perception of COVID-19 is negatively related to subjective well-being only at the interindividual level, and authenticity plays a mediating role in this relationship. The finding suggested that keeping authenticity is a good strategy for avoiding the disruption caused by COVID-19. Longitudinal studies on samples with a broader age range, larger sample size, and extended sociodemographic background, as well as experimental studies, should be conducted to explore the causal relationship among interested variables that the current research has not detected.

Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Railway Workers: Risks and Protective Factors

Article

Sep 2022

Objective: Railway workers have provided an essential service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the effects of COVID-19 on the mental wellbeing of railway workers (n = 906) in the UK during the third lockdown period. Method: The online survey included measures of COVID-19 related risk factors (perceived risk, stress, burnout, trauma) and protective factors (resilience coping, team resilience, general help-seeking) associated with mental wellbeing. Responses were analysed using multiple regression and content analysis. Results: COVID-19 related risk factors negatively predicted wellbeing. Higher scores on adaptive resilience, intentions to seek help and team resilience significantly predicted higher mental wellbeing scores. Mental health decline throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns for the future were reported. Conclusion: Building a resilient railway workforce requires attention to staff mental wellbeing and to ensuring that support systems are robust and accessible.

COVID-19 Morbidity, Vaccine Side Effects, and Vaccine Hesitancy among African Americans

Article

Aug 2022

COVID-19 research conducted in the pre-vaccine era indicates strong hesitancy toward vaccination among African Americans. Recent research has found growing acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in the general US population. This study investigated vaccination intentions in Black communities and explored behavioral mechanisms involved in vaccination decisions. It focused on individuals' risk perception in the face of a double hazard relating to the coronavirus disease and the vaccine. Using data from a national survey of 547 African Americans in January 2021, the results demonstrate considerable lingering vaccine hesitancy among African Americans. A survey experiment applied fear appeals to raise risk perceptions of threats from (I) the coronavirus, (2) the COVID-19 vaccine, or (3) both the disease and the vaccine. The findings show null effects of the treatments on individuals' intentions to get a vaccine. However, when incorporating efficacy beliefs about the COVID-19 vaccine, the analysis found a positive effect of perceived vaccine efficacy on vaccination intentions. The study concludes that future research and practice need to replace fear appeals with efficacy-raising regimes, and identifies strategies that can be adopted in communicating and engaging with Black communities to promote COVID-19 vaccination.

Risk Perception and Depression in Public Health Crises: Evidence from the COVID-19 Crisis in China

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2020
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Background: Scant attention has been paid to how risk perceptions of public health crises may affect people’s mental health. Aims: The aims of this study are to (1) construct a conceptual framework for risk perception and depression of people in public health crises, (2) examine how the mental health of people in the crisis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is affected by risk perception and its associated factors, including distance perception of the crisis and support of prevention and control policies, and (3) propose policy recommendations on how to deal with psychological problems in the current COVID-19 crisis. Methods: Online questionnaire survey was implemented. A total of 6373 people visited the questionnaire online, 1115 people completed the questionnaire, and the number of valid questionnaires was 1081. Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis. Results: Risk perception and its associated factors significantly affect the mental health of people in public health crises. Specifically, (1) distance perception of public health crises is negatively associated with depression among people, (2) affective risk perception is positively associated with depression of people in public health crises, (3) cognitive risk perception is negatively associated with depression of people in public health crises, and (4) support of prevention and control policies is negatively associated with depression of people in public health crises. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that risk perception plays an important role in affecting the mental health of people in a public health crisis. Therefore, health policies aiming to improve the psychological wellbeing of the people in a public health crisis should take risk perception into consideration.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors Associated With Mental Health Symptoms Among the General Population in China During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2020

Importance People exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and a series of imperative containment measures could be psychologically stressed, yet the burden of and factors associated with mental health symptoms remain unclear. Objective To investigate the prevalence of and risk factors associated with mental health symptoms in the general population in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design, Setting, and Participants This large-sample, cross-sectional, population-based, online survey study was conducted from February 28, 2020, to March 11, 2020. It involved all 34 province-level regions in China and included participants aged 18 years and older. Data analysis was performed from March to May 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures The prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and acute stress among the general population in China during the COVID-19 pandemic was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire–9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7, Insomnia Severity Index, and Acute Stress Disorder Scale. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore demographic and COVID-19–related risk factors. Results Of 71 227 individuals who clicked on the survey link, 56 932 submitted the questionnaires, for a participation rate of 79.9%. After excluding the invalid questionnaires, 56 679 participants (mean [SD] age, 35.97 [8.22] years; 27 149 men [47.9%]) were included in the study; 39 468 respondents (69.6%) were aged 18 to 39 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rates of mental health symptoms among the survey respondents were 27.9% (95% CI, 27.5%-28.2%) for depression, 31.6% (95% CI, 31.2%-32.0%) for anxiety, 29.2% (95% CI, 28.8%-29.6%) for insomnia, and 24.4% (95% CI, 24.0%-24.7%) for acute stress. Participants with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and their family members or friends had a high risk for symptoms of depression (adjusted odds ratios [ORs], 3.27 [95% CI, 1.84-5.80] for patients; 1.53 [95% CI, 1.26-1.85] for family or friends), anxiety (adjusted ORs, 2.48 [95% CI, 1.43-4.31] for patients; 1.53 [95% CI, 1.27-1.84] for family or friends), insomnia (adjusted ORs, 3.06 [95% CI, 1.73-5.43] for patients; 1.62 [95% CI, 1.35-1.96] for family or friends), and acute stress (adjusted ORs, 3.50 [95% CI, 2.02-6.07] for patients; 1.77 [95% CI, 1.46-2.15] for family or friends). Moreover, people with occupational exposure risks and residents in Hubei province had increased odds of symptoms of depression (adjusted ORs, 1.96 [95% CI, 1.77-2.17] for occupational exposure; 1.42 [95% CI, 1.19-1.68] for Hubei residence), anxiety (adjusted ORs, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.75-2.13] for occupational exposure; 1.54 [95% CI, 1.30-1.82] for Hubei residence), insomnia (adjusted ORs, 1.60 [95% CI, 1.45-1.77] for occupational exposure; 1.20 [95% CI, 1.01-1.42] for Hubei residence), and acute stress (adjusted ORs, 1.98 [95% CI, 1.79-2.20] for occupational exposure; 1.49 [95% CI, 1.25-1.79] for Hubei residence). Both centralized quarantine (adjusted ORs, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.10-1.61] for depression; 1.46 [95% CI, 1.22-1.75] for anxiety; 1.63 [95% CI, 1.36-1.95] for insomnia; 1.46 [95% CI, 1.21-1.77] for acute stress) and home quarantine (adjusted ORs, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.25-1.36] for depression; 1.28 [95% CI, 1.23-1.34] for anxiety; 1.24 [95% CI, 1.19-1.30] for insomnia; 1.29 [95% CI, 1.24-1.35] for acute stress) were associated with the 4 negative mental health outcomes. Being at work was associated with lower risks of depression (adjusted OR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.79-0.91]), anxiety (adjusted OR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.86-0.99]), and insomnia (adjusted OR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.81-0.94]). Conclusions and Relevance The results of this survey indicate that mental health symptoms may have been common during the COVID-19 outbreak among the general population in China, especially among infected individuals, people with suspected infection, and people who might have contact with patients with COVID-19. Some measures, such as quarantine and delays in returning to work, were also associated with mental health among the public. These findings identify populations at risk for mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic and may help in implementing mental health intervention policies in other countries and regions.

Age differences in COVID-19 risk perceptions and mental health:Evidence from a national US survey conducted in March 2020

Article

Full-text available

May 2020
J GERONTOL B-PSYCHOL

Wändi Bruine de Bruin

Objectives: Theories of aging posit that older adult age is associated with less negative emotions, but few studies have examined age differences at times of novel challenges. As COVID-19 spread in the United States, this study therefore aimed to examine age differences in risk perceptions, anxiety and depression. Method: In March 2020, a nationally representative address-based sample of 6666 US adults assessed their perceived risk of getting COVID-19, dying if getting it, getting quarantined, losing their job (if currently working), and running out of money. They completed a mental health assessment for anxiety and depression. Demographic variables and pre-crisis depression diagnosis had previously been reported. Results: In regression analyses controlling for demographic variables and survey date, older adult age was associated with perceiving larger risks of dying if getting COVID-19, but with perceiving less risk of getting COVID-19, getting quarantined, or running out of money, as well as less depression and anxiety. Findings held after additionally controlling for pre-crisis reports of depression diagnosis. Discussion: With the exception of perceived infection-fatality risk, US adults who were relatively older appeared to have a more optimistic outlook and better mental health during the early stages of the pandemic. Interventions may be needed to help people of all ages maintain realistic perceptions of the risks, while also managing depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis. Implications for risk communication and mental health interventions are discussed.

Not all world leaders use Twitter in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: impact of the way of Angela Merkel on psychological distress, behaviour and risk perception

Article

Full-text available

May 2020
J PUBLIC HEALTH-UK

At a time of growing governmental restrictions and 'physical distancing' in order to decelerate the spread of COVID-19, psychological challenges are increasing. Social media plays an important role in maintaining social contact as well as exerting political influence. World leaders use it not only to keep citizens informed but also to boost morale and manage people's fears. However, some leaders do not follow this approach; an example is the German Chancellor. In a large online survey, we aimed to determine levels of COVID-19 fear, generalized anxiety, depression, safety behaviour, trust in government and risk perception in Germany. A total of 12 244 respondents participated during the period of restraint and the public shutdown in March 2020. Concurrent with the German Chancellor's speech, a reduction of anxiety and depression was noticeable in the German population. It appears that, in addition to using social media platforms like Twitter, different-and sometimes more conservative-channels for providing information can also be effective.

Risk perceptions of COVID-19 around the world

Article

Full-text available

May 2020

The World Health Organization has declared the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world a global public health emergency. It is well-known that the spread of the disease is influenced by people's willingness to adopt preventative public health behaviors, which are often associated with public risk perception. In this study, we present the first assessment of public risk perception of COVID-19 around the world using national samples (total N = 6,991) in ten countries across Europe, America, and Asia. We find that although levels of concern are relatively high, they are highest in the UK compared to all other sampled countries. Pooled across countries, personal experience with the virus, indi-vidualistic and prosocial values, hearing about the virus from friends and family, trust in government, science, and medical professionals, personal knowledge of government strategy, and personal and collective efficacy were all significant predictors of risk perception. Although there was substantial variability across cultures, individualistic worldviews, personal experience, prosocial values, and social amplification through friends and family in particular were found to be significant determinants in more than half of the countries examined. Risk perception correlated significantly with reported adoption of preventative health behaviors in all ten countries. Implications for effective risk communication are discussed.

The Impacts of Uncertainty Stress on Mental Disorders of Chinese College Students: Evidence From a Nationwide Study

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationships between the types of stress and students’ mental health, to distinguish the effects of stressors on mental health problems, and to explore the important role of uncertainty stress on the development of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of Chinese college students. Methods: A cross-sectional multistage study was conducted. Participants were 11,954 students, who were recruited from 50 Chinese universities located in 43 cities covering 23 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across China. The Student Daily Stress Questionnaire (SDSQ) was applied to measure the different types of stress, and mental health status was measured using the 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ). Both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were utilized in the statistical analyses. Multilevel analyses were performed to examine the variation of mental disorder at both the individual and university levels. Results: The prevalence of mental disorders was 22.8% (95% CI: 22.0–23.5%). The unadjusted models showed that age, gender, grade, major, and university location and type were the correlates of mental disorders among students. The unadjusted models developed in this research found that study stress, life stress, and uncertainty stress were positively associated with mental disorder. The multilevel logistic regression models showed that uncertainty stress was far more likely to result in students’ mental disorders than study or life stress after controlling for university level. The greater the perceived uncertainty stress, the higher the prevalence of mental disorders. Conclusion: This study provides robust evidence of the impact of uncertainty stress on mental disorders among college students. Compared with life and study stress, more attention should be given to uncertainty stress. The information from this study should be helpful when considering effective mental health policies and interventions among college students in China.

The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2019
Nat. Hum. Behav.

The widespread use of digital technologies by young people has spurred speculation that their regular use negatively impacts psychological well-being. Current empirical evidence supporting this idea is largely based on secondary analyses of large-scale social datasets. Though these datasets provide a valuable resource for highly powered investigations, their many variables and observations are often explored with an analytical flexibility that marks small effects as statistically significant, thereby leading to potential false positives and conflicting results. Here we address these methodological challenges by applying specification curve analysis (SCA) across three large-scale social datasets (total n = 355,358) to rigorously examine correlational evidence for the effects of digital technology on adolescents. The association we find between digital technology use and adolescent well-being is negative but small, explaining at most 0.4% of the variation in well-being. Taking the broader context of the data into account suggests that these effects are too small to warrant policy change. © 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

Effect size measures for multilevel models: definition, interpretation, and TIMSS example

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2018

Julie Lorah

Abstract Effect size reporting is crucial for interpretation of applied research results and for conducting meta-analysis. However, clear guidelines for reporting effect size in multilevel models have not been provided. This report suggests and demonstrates appropriate effect size measures including the ICC for random effects and standardized regression coefficients or f 2 for fixed effects. Following this, complexities associated with reporting R 2 as an effect size measure are explored, as well as appropriate effect size measures for more complex models including the three-level model and the random slopes model. An example using TIMSS data is provided.

Perception of Risk

Article

Full-text available

May 1987

Paul Slovic

Studies of risk perception examine the judgements people make when they are asked to characterize and evaluate hazardous activities and technologies. This research aims to aid risk analysis and policy-making by providing a basis for understanding and anticipating public responses to hazards and improving the communication of risk information among lay people, technical experts, and decision-makers. This work assumes that those who promote and regulate health and safety need to understand how people think about and respond to risk. Without such understanding, well-intended policies may be ineffective.

Single item measures of self-rated mental health: A scoping review

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2014
BMC HEALTH SERV RES

A single-item measure of self-rated mental health (SRMH) is being used increasingly in health research and population health surveys. The item asks respondents to rate their mental health on a five-point scale from excellent to poor. This scoping study presents the first known review of the SRMH literature. Electronic databases of Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Cochrane Reviews were searched using keywords. The databases were also searched using the titles of surveys known to include the SRMH single item. The search was supplemented by manually searching the bibliographic sections of the included studies. Two independent reviewers coded articles for inclusion or exclusion based on whether articles included SRMH. Each study was coded by theme and data were extracted about study design, sample, variables, and results. Fifty-seven studies included SRMH. SRMH correlated moderately with the following mental health scales: Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, mental health subscales of the Short-Form Health Status Survey, Behaviour and Symptom Identification Scale, and World Mental Health Clinical Diagnostic Interview Schedule. However, responses to this item may differ across racial and ethnic groups. Poor SRMH was associated with poor self-rated health, physical health problems, increased health service utilization and less likelihood of being satisfied with mental health services. Poor or fair SRMH was also associated with social determinants of health, such as low socioeconomic position, weak social connections and neighbourhood stressors. Synthesis of this literature provides important information about the relationships SRMH has with other variables. SRMH is associated with multi-item measures of mental health, self-rated health, health problems, service utilization, and service satisfaction. Given these relationships and its use in epidemiologic surveys, SRMH should continue to be assessed as a population health measure. More studies need to examine relationships between SRMH and clinical mental illnesses. Longitudinal analyses should look at whether SRMH is predictive of future mental health problems.

A Circumplex Model of Affect

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1980
J PERS SOC PSYCHOL

James A Russell

Factor-analytic evidence has led most psychologists to describe affect as a set of dimensions, such as displeasure, distress, depression, excitement, and so on, with each dimension varying independently of the others. However, there is other evidence that rather than being independent, these affective dimensions are interrelated in a highly systematic fashion. The evidence suggests that these interrelationships can be represented by a spatial model in which affective concepts fall in a circle in the following order: pleasure (0), excitement (45), arousal (90), distress (135), displeasure (180), depression (225), sleepiness (270), and relaxation (315). This model was offered both as a way psychologists can represent the structure of affective experience, as assessed through self-report, and as a representation of the cognitive structure that laymen utilize in conceptualizing affect. Supportive evidence was obtained by scaling 28 emotion-denoting adjectives in 4 different ways: R. T. Ross's (1938) technique for a circular ordering of variables, a multidimensional scaling procedure based on perceived similarity among the terms, a unidimensional scaling on hypothesized pleasure–displeasure and degree-of-arousal dimensions, and a principal-components analysis of 343 Ss' self-reports of their current affective states. (70 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Risk perception interactions in stress and coping facing extreme risks

Article

Full-text available

May 2001
Environ Manag Health

Esperanza López-Vázquez

Natural and technological catastrophes are worrying our societies at all levels (economical, political, social, psychological) because of the disturbances they generate on the populations in a large scale. Natural catastrophes reveal an old reality to which mankind has always been exposed and industrial risks are the consequence of technological development in the present century. Our study will analyse the influence of risk perception on psychological stress in two populations exposed to extreme risk and that have already lived in a catastrophe situation. We propose a theoretical model of the risk perception process and we observe that there is a direct effect of risk perception factors in stress. Interactions between the nature of risk individuals are exposed to and the risk perception in stress and coping strategies prove that risk perception interacts as a mediator in a complex process facing the risk situation responses.

Risk perception, stress and coping strategies in two catastrophe risk situations

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2003
SOC BEHAV PERSONAL

This study examined the influence of risk perception on stress reactions and coping strategies in 191 Mexican people who had experienced a catastrophe either natural (SR group) or industrial (IR group), and who are still exposed to the same kind of risks. Results showed that for the IR group and for people who rank industrial risks as the highest priority, from among a list of risks, the stress levels were higher and coping strategies were passive. There were significant correlations between feelings of insecurity and both stress level and passive coping strategies. The results demonstrate that risk perception is an important variable influencing both stress and coping responses in a catastrophe risk situation.

Risk As Feelings

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2001

Virtually all current theories of choice under risk or uncertainty are cognitive and consequentialist. They assume that people assess the desirability and likelihood of possible outcomes of choice alternatives and integrate this information through some type of expectation-based calculus to arrive at a decision. The authors propose an alternative theoretical perspective, the risk-as-feelings hypothesis, that highlights the role of affect experienced at the moment of decision making. Drawing on research from clinical, physiological, and other subfields of psychology, they show that emotional reactions to risky situations often diverge from cognitive assessments of those risks. When such divergence occurs, emotional reactions often drive behavior. The risk-as-feelings hypothesis is shown to explain a wide range of phenomena that have resisted interpretation in cognitive-consequentialist terms.

Behavioural, cognitive and emotional responses to SARS: Differences between college students in Beijing and Suzhou

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2005
STRESS HEALTH

This research was designed to explore the differences in behaviour, cognition and emotion between college students in Beijing and Suzhou, who were under different external stresses during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) prevalence time in China from 22 April to 23 June, 2003. A ‘Psychological responses questionnaire on SARS’ designed by the authors was filled out by subjects. A total of 268 valid cases were collected in Beijing through e-mails or websites, and 397 valid copies were collected in Suzhou through pencil-and-paper tests. The two groups differed in their behaviours, cognitions and emotions. Cognitive and behavioural responses of the Beijing sample changed along with the time and the epidemic situation, and so did the negative emotions of the Suzhou sample. Path analysis of the Beijing sample found support for the mediating effects of the cognition on the relationships of stress and the emotional and behavioural responses, while the results of the Suzhou sample did not. Differences between the two samples are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Monitoring the level of government trust, risk perception and intention of the general public to adopt protective measures during the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in The Netherlands

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2011
BMC PUBLIC HEALTH

During the course of an influenza pandemic, governments know relatively little about the possibly changing influence of government trust, risk perception, and receipt of information on the public's intention to adopt protective measures or on the acceptance of vaccination. This study aims to identify and describe possible changes in and factors associated with public's intentions during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in the Netherlands. Sixteen cross-sectional telephone surveys were conducted (N = 8060) between April - November 2009. From these repeated measurements three consecutive periods were categorized based on crucial events during the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. Time trends in government trust, risk perception, intention to adopt protective measures, and the acceptance of vaccination were analysed. Factors associated with an intention to adopt protective measures or vaccination were identified. Trust in the government was high, but decreased over time. During the course of the pandemic, perceived vulnerability and an intention to adopt protective measures increased. Trust and vulnerability were associated with an intention to adopt protective measures in general only during period one. Higher levels of intention to receive vaccination were associated with increased government trust, fear/worry, and perceived vulnerability. In periods two and three receipt of information was positively associated with an intention to adopt protective measures. Most respondents wanted to receive information about infection prevention from municipal health services, health care providers, and the media. The Dutch response to the H1N1 virus was relatively muted. Higher levels of trust in the government, fear/worry, and perceived vulnerability were all positively related to an intention to accept vaccination. Only fear/worry was positively linked to an intention to adopt protective measures during the entire pandemic. Risk and crisis communication by the government should focus on building and maintaining trust by providing information about preventing infection in close collaboration with municipal health services, health care providers, and the media.

Perceived risk, anxiety, and behavioural responses of the general public during the early phase of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in the Netherlands: Results of three consecutive online surveys

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2011
BMC PUBLIC HEALTH

Research into risk perception and behavioural responses in case of emerging infectious diseases is still relatively new. The aim of this study was to examine perceptions and behaviours of the general public during the early phase of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in the Netherlands. Two cross-sectional and one follow-up online survey (survey 1, 30 April-4 May; survey 2, 15-19 June; survey 3, 11-20 August 2009). Adults aged 18 years and above participating in a representative Internet panel were invited (survey 1, n = 456; survey 2, n = 478; follow-up survey 3, n = 934). Main outcome measures were 1) time trends in risk perception, feelings of anxiety, and behavioural responses (survey 1-3) and 2) factors associated with taking preventive measures and strong intention to comply with government-advised preventive measures in the future (survey 3). Between May and August 2009, the level of knowledge regarding Influenza A (H1N1) increased, while perceived severity of the new flu, perceived self-efficacy, and intention to comply with preventive measures decreased. The perceived reliability of information from the government decreased from May to August (62% versus 45%). Feelings of anxiety decreased from May to June, and remained stable afterwards. From June to August 2009, perceived vulnerability increased and more respondents took preventive measures (14% versus 38%). Taking preventive measures was associated with no children in the household, high anxiety, high self-efficacy, more agreement with statements on avoidance, and paying much attention to media information regarding Influenza A (H1N1). Having a strong intention to comply with government-advised preventive measures in the future was associated with higher age, high perceived severity, high anxiety, high perceived efficacy of measures, high self-efficacy, and finding governmental information to be reliable. Decreasing trends over time in perceived severity and anxiety are consistent with the reality: the clinical picture of influenza turned out to be mild in course of time. Although (inter)national health authorities initially overestimated the case fatality rate, the public stayed calm and remained to have a relatively high intention to comply with preventive measures.

A Social-Cognitive Model of Pandemic Influenza H1N1 Risk Perception and Recommended Behaviors in Italy

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2010
RISK ANAL

The outbreak of the pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 (swine flu) between March and April 2009 challenged the health services around the world. Indeed, misconceptions and worries have led the public to refuse to comply with precautionary measures. Moreover, there have been limited efforts to develop models incorporating cognitive, social-contextual, and affective factors as predictors of compliance with recommended behaviors. The aim of this study was to apply a social-cognitive model of risk perception and individual response to pandemic influenza H1N1 in a representative sample of Italian population. A sample of 1,010 Italians of at least 18 years of age took part in a telephone survey. The survey included measures of perceived preparedness of institutions, family members and friends' levels of worry, exposure to media campaigns (social-contextual factors), perceived coping efficacy, likelihood of infection, perceived seriousness, personal impact, and severity of illness (cognitive evaluations), affective response and compliance with recommended behaviors. Results demonstrated that affective response fully mediated the relationship between cognitive evaluations and social-contextual factors (with the exception of exposure to media campaigns) and compliance with recommended behaviors. Perceived coping efficacy and preparedness of institutions were not related to compliance with recommended behaviors.

Lay perceptions of the pandemic influenza threat

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2009
EUR J EPIDEMIOL

A national survey on the public perception of the pandemic threat was conducted in France during the summer of 2008. Although the majority of the respondents displayed beliefs and attitudes toward the pandemic threat that could be considered as adaptive in the face of an outbreak, our results suggest that there are identifiable needs for public information about the transmission and prevention of the disease.

Improving the quality of Web surveys: the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES)

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2004
J MED INTERNET RES

Gunther Eysenbach

Analogous to checklists of recommendations such as the CONSORT statement (for randomized trials), or the QUORUM statement (for systematic reviews), which are designed to ensure the quality of reports in the medical literature, a checklist of recommendations for authors is being presented by the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) in an effort to ensure complete descriptions of Web-based surveys. Papers on Web-based surveys reported according to the CHERRIES statement will give readers a better understanding of the sample (self-)selection and its possible differences from a "representative" sample. It is hoped that author adherence to the checklist will increase the usefulness of such reports.

Risk Perceptions and Risk Characteristics

Chapter

Mar 2017

### READERS: CLICK DOI LINK ABOVE FOR THE TEXT ### Risk perception refers to people’s subjective judgments about the likelihood of negative occurrences such as injury, illness, disease, and death. Risk perception is important in health and risk communication because it determines which hazards people care about and how they deal with them. Risk perception has two main dimensions: the cognitive dimension, which relates to how much people know about and understand risks, and the emotional dimension, which relates to how they feel about them.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on risk perceptions: differences between ethnic groups in Germany

Article

Oct 2020

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, people perceive their health and finances to be at greater risk than before. Using data from CILS4COVID, an add-on study to the German long-term project CILS4EU-DE, surveying young adults aged 24–26, we show that these risk perceptions are prevalent in populations with a former Yugoslavian, Turkish, and Asian background, although we find only few differences between the German majority and the ethnic minority groups overall. Contrary to expectations, we were not able to fully explain these systematic differences with sociodemographic, experiential and sociocultural factors. Nevertheless, our analysis provides important insights into mechanisms underlying the increased perception of risk during the pandemic irrespective of respondents’ ethnic origin.

Risk and Self-defeating Behaviors as Goal Pursuit Rather than Regulatory Failure

Chapter

Sep 2017

Catalina Kopetz

The psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures: experience from 4000 participants

Article

Dec 2020
J AFFECT DISORDERS

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.014 Background: In February 2020 the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in Kuwait. Inevitably as many countries worldwide, the general public were negatively affected by the pandemic. Unemployment, uncertainty, distress, increasing deaths, lockdown measures all of which are potential burdens on mental health. Aim: To assess the impact of COVID19 outbreak on mental health in Kuwait, and to explore the potential influencing risk factors. Methods: We conducted an online questionnaire-based study in Kuwait between 25th May 2020 to 30th May 2020. Questions were based on demographics, lifestyle during outbreak, depression and anxiety assessment. Total PHQ9 and GAD7 scores were calculated for each responder. Results: We had 4132 responders. Most were females (69.31%), married (59.37%), between the age of 21-30 (23.84%) and non-smokers (81.46%). Only (7.96%) had a positive past psychiatric history, (32.04%) had a past history of a chronic medical disease. During the outbreak most of the responders lost their jobs (39.21%) and only (12.83%) were attending work regularly, only (6.82%) worked in the healthcare sector. 59.27% report increased social media use compared to before the lockdown. When asked about their daily time spent following COVID19-related news, most (37.8%) spend more than 2 hours and (7.74%) spend more than 4 hours. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was (30.13%) and the prevalence of anxiety symptoms was (25.28%). Limitations: In the cross-sectional nature of the study. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a burden on mental health. Psychological support and mental health awareness should be implemented and made accessible to all individuals during pandemics.

Longitudinal evaluation of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis in Spain

Article

Dec 2020
J AFFECT DISORDERS

Background Strict confinement and social distancing measures have been imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries. The aim was to assess the temporal evolution of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown from two surveys, separated by one month, performed in Spain. Methods Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and the psychological impact of the situation were longitudinally analyzed using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES) respectively. Results There was a total of 4,724 responses from both surveys. Symptomatic scores of anxiety, depression and stress were exhibited by 37.22%, 46.42% and 49.66% of the second survey respondents, showing a significant increase compared to the first survey (32.45%, 44.11% and 37.01%, respectively). There was no significant longitudinal change of the IES scores, with 48.30% of the second survey participants showing moderate to severe impact of the confinement. Constant news consumption about COVID-19 was found to be positively associated with symptomatic scores in the different scales, and daily physical activity to be negatively associated with DASS-21 scores. Conclusions Results indicated a temporal increase of anxiety, depression and stress scores during the COVID-19 lockdown. Factors such as age, consumption of information about COVID-19 and physical activity seem to have an important impact on the evolution of psychological symptoms.

The psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures: Experience from 4000 participants

Article

Sep 2020
J AFFECT DISORDERS

Waleed Burhamah

Abstract Background: In February 2020 the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in Kuwait. Inevitably as many countries worldwide, the general public were negatively affected by the pandemic. Unemployment, uncertainty, distress, increasing deaths, lockdown measures all of which are potential burdens on mental health. Aim: To assess the impact of COVID19 outbreak on mental health in Kuwait, and to explore the potential influencing risk factors. Methods: We conducted an online questionnaire-based study in Kuwait between 25th May 2020 to 30th May 2020. Questions were based on demographics, lifestyle during outbreak, depression and anxiety assessment. Total PHQ9 and GAD7 scores were calculated for each responder. Results: We had 4132 responders. Most were females (69.31%), married (59.37%), between the age of 21-30 (23.84%) and non-smokers (81.46%). Only (7.96%) had a positive past psychiatric history, (32.04%) had a past history of a chronic medical disease. During the outbreak most of the responders lost their jobs (39.21%) and only (12.83%) were attending work regularly, only (6.82%) worked in the healthcare sector. 59.27% report increased social media use compared to before the lockdown. When asked about their daily time spent following COVID19-related news, most (37.8%) spend more than 2 hours and (7.74%) spend more than 4 hours. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was (30.13%) and the prevalence of anxiety symptoms was (25.28%). Limitations: In the cross-sectional nature of the study. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a burden on mental health. Psychological support and mental health awareness should be implemented and made accessible to all individuals during pandemics.

The prevalence and risk factors of psychological disturbances of frontline medical staff in China under the COVID-19 epidemic: workload should be concerned

Article

Aug 2020
J AFFECT DISORDERS

Background To our best knowledge, this was the first time to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of psychological disturbances, including depression, anxiety, somatization symptoms, insomnia and suicide, among frontline medical staff, who were working with the COVID-10 infected patients directly. Methods Patient Health Questionnaire Depression (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire scale (GAD-7), Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90) somatization, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the suicidal module of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were used for online survey. Results A total of 606 frontline hospital staff and1099 general population were recruited. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, somatization symptoms, insomnia, and suicide risk in frontline medical staffs were 57.6%, 45.4%, 12.0%, 32.0% and 13.0%, respectively. Except for suicide risk, the prevalence of other psychological disorders in frontline medical staff were higher than those in general population (all p<0.01). Among the frontline medical staff, the daily working hours were associated with all psychological disturbance (all p<0.01), women with anxiety (p=0.02), body mass index (BMI) with anxiety and insomnia (p=0.02, p=0.03). Age was negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and insomnia (all p<0.01). Finally, years of working and family income were negatively associated with suicide risk (p=0.03, p<0.001). Conclusion Our study demonstrates that during the outbreak of COVID-19, the frontline medical staff are more likely to suffer from psychological disturbances than general population. It is noticeable that daily working hours are a risk factor for all measured psychological disturbances, and some other variables may be involved in certain psychological disturbances of frontline medical staff.

Public mental health under the long-term influence of COVID-19 in China: Geographical and temporal distribution

Article

Aug 2020
J AFFECT DISORDERS

Background The mental health status caused by major epidemics is serious and lasting. At present, there are few studies about the lasting mental health effects of COVID-19 outbreak. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mental health of the Chinese public during the long-term COVID-19 outbreak. Methods A total of 1172 online questionnaires were collected, covering demographical information and 8 common psychological states: depression, anxiety, somatization, stress, psychological resilience, suicidal ideation and behavior, insomnia, and stress disorder. In addition, the geographical and temporal distributions of different mental states were plotted. Results Overall, 30.1% of smokers increased smoking, while 11.3% of drinkers increased alcohol consumption. The prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, mental health problems, high risk of suicidal and behavior, clinical insomnia, clinical post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, moderate-to-high levels of perceived stress were 18.8%, 13.3%, 7.6%, 2.8%, 7.2%, 7.0%, and 67.9%, respectively. Further, the geographical distribution showed that the mental status in some provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities was relatively more serious. The temporal distribution showed that the psychological state of the participants was relatively poorer on February 20, 24 to 26 and March 25, especially on March 25. Limitations This cross-sectional design cannot make causal inferences. And the snowball sampling was not representative enough. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the prevalence rate of mental disorders in the Chinese public is relatively low in the second month of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, people's mental state is affected by the geographical and temporal distributions.

Associations of risk perception of COVID-19 with emotion and mental health during the pandemic

Abstract

No full-text available