A Cross-Cultural Study of Distress during COVID-19 Pandemic: Some Protective and Risk Factors

Previous studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in different countries found an increase in anxiety, stress, and an exacerbation of previous mental health problems. This research investigated some of the protective and risk factors of distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-07, Vol.18 (14), p.7261
Main Authors: Kosic, Ankica, Džamonja Ignjatović, Tamara, Petrović, Nebojša
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Families & family life
Fatalities
Fear
Health problems
Mental disorders
Mental health
Neighborhoods
Older people
Pandemics
Perceptions
Risk analysis
Risk factors
Social interactions
Social support
Sociodemographics
State of emergency
Stress
Worry
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Summary:Previous studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in different countries found an increase in anxiety, stress, and an exacerbation of previous mental health problems. This research investigated some of the protective and risk factors of distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, among which were the perception of receiving social support from family members and friends, and a chronic tendency to worry. The study was conducted in three European countries: Italy, Serbia, and Romania. A total of 1100 participants (Italy n = 491; Serbia n = 297; Romania n = 312) responded to a questionnaire. Results from this study show that distress during the COVID-19 pandemic is higher for people who are chronic worriers and those who have higher levels of fear of COVID-19. More specifically, it is confirmed that a chronic tendency to worry exacerbates the relationship between fear and distress: it is stronger for people who have a greater tendency to worry.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph18147261