Relationships between stress appraisals and intolerance of uncertainty with psychological health during early COVID-19 in the USA

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased psychological distress and decreased quality of life (QoL), but limited research has evaluated cognitive appraisals of COVID-19. This study aimed to examine the role of three stress appraisals of the COVID-19 pandemic - threat appraisal, harm/loss appraisal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anxiety, stress, and coping stress, and coping, 2023, Vol.36 (1), p.97-109
Main Authors: McCarty, Ryan J., Downing, Seth T., Daley, Matthew L., McNamara, Joseph P. H., Guastello, Andrea D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 pandemic
Cross-Sectional Studies
distress
Humans
intolerance of uncertainty
Pandemics
Quality of Life
stress appraisal
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Uncertainty
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Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased psychological distress and decreased quality of life (QoL), but limited research has evaluated cognitive appraisals of COVID-19. This study aimed to examine the role of three stress appraisals of the COVID-19 pandemic - threat appraisal, harm/loss appraisal, and challenge appraisal - and the interaction between these appraisals and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) on psychological distress and QoL. This was a cross-sectional survey study using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. A sample of 327 adults living in the U.S. completed a series of questionnaires investigating IU, appraisal of the pandemic, psychological distress, and QoL in May 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Controlling for demographic variables, IU and harm/loss appraisal positively related to psychological distress and negatively related to QoL. Challenge appraisals negatively related to distress and positively related to QoL. Moderation analyses revealed that higher levels of IU led to stronger positive relationships between threat appraisal and psychological distress. Cognitive appraisals of COVID-19 are associated with psychological health, though the relationship between threat appraisal and psychological distress are strongest for those with difficulty tolerating uncertainty. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
ISSN:1061-5806
1477-2205
DOI:10.1080/10615806.2022.2075855