Symptom networks of COVID-19-related versus other potentially traumatic events in a global sample

• Published in: Journal of anxiety disorders 2021-12, Vol.84, p.102476-102476, Article 102476
• Main Authors: Williamson, Rachel E., Hoeboer, Chris M., Primasari, Indira, Qing, Yulan, Coimbra, Bruno M., Hovnanyan, Ani, Grace, Emma, Olff, Miranda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; COVID-19; Global mental health; Humans; Mental Health; Network analysis; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; Stress responses
• ISSN: 0887-6185; 1873-7897; 1873-7897
• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102476

The potential mental health consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are widely acknowledged; however, limited research exists regarding the nature and patterns of stress responses to COVID-19-related potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and the convergence/divergence with responses to other (non-COVID-19-related) PTEs. Network analysis can provide a useful method for evaluating and comparing these symptom structures. The present study includes 7034 participants from 86 countries who reported on mental health symptoms associated with either a COVID-19-related PTE (n = 1838) or other PTE (n = 5196). Using network analysis, we compared the centrality and connections of symptoms within and between each group. Overall, results show that the COVID-19-related network includes transdiagnostic symptom associations similar to networks tied to PTEs unrelated to the pandemic. Findings provide evidence for a shared centrality of depression across networks and theoretically consistent connections between symptoms. Network differences included stronger connections between avoidance-derealization and hypervigilance-depression in the COVID-19 network. Present findings support the conceptualization of psychological responses to pandemic-related PTEs as a network of highly interconnected symptoms and support the use of a transdiagnostic approach to the assessment and treatment of mental health challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. •COVID-19-related potentially traumatic events reflect a diverse range of trauma types.•Psychological responses to COVID-19-related PTEs include highly connected transdiagnostic symptoms.•Symptom networks related to COVID-19 PTEs are similar to those of other PTEs.•Depression has the most and/or strongest connections with other symptoms in the network.