Coping Responses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Peru

Abstract

Background. !e COVID-19 pandemic has subjected people around the world to severe stress, evoking a variety of coping responses. Coping responses can be broadly classi"ed into four strategies: 1) problem-focused coping; 2) emotionfocused coping; 3) socially supported coping; and 4) avoidance. While there is a wide variability of individual coping responses, to some extent they are also culturally speci"c. Objective. !is study aimed to compare the di#erences in the prevalence and factor structure of coping responses during COVID-19 pandemic in three countries: Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Peru. Design. !e sample included 501 participants from Russia, 456 participants from Kyrgyzstan, and 354 participants from Peru. !e mean age of participants was 28 years in Russia (SD = 13.5); 24 years in Kyrgyzstan (SD = 10.0); and 30 years in Peru (SD = 12.3). In Russia and Kyrgyzstan, coping strategies were assessed with an abbreviated Russian adaptation of the COPE (Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced) questionnaire. In Peru, coping responses were assessed using the Spanish version of the Brief COPE questionnaire. !e average scores from "%een COPE scales were used as the input data for linear modelling and factor analysis. Results. !e coping scores varied substantially within each country. Di#erences between countries accounted for 17.7% of the total variability in religious coping; 15.8% in acceptance; 13.9% in mental disengagement; and less than 7% in the other coping strategies. No di#erence in the prevalence of coping responses was found between Russian and Kyrgyz participants a%er accounting for age and gender. In all three countries the coping responses were associated with the same four coping domains: problem-focused coping, socially supported coping, avoidance, and emotion-focused coping. Four factors explained up to 44% of the total variation in the COPE scores. Religious coping and mental disengagement were classi"ed into di#erent coping domains in the three countries. Conclusion. !e results suggest that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people from di#erent countries apply the full range of coping responses within the four universal coping strategies. Religious coping and mental disengagement di#ered the most across the countries, suggesting that some coping behaviors can take on di#erent roles within the system of coping responses to stressful events. We attribute these di#erences to di#ering cultural and socioeconomic characteristics, and the di#erent measures taken by governments in response to COVID-19.

A survey to evaluate mental well being and coping strategies of adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangalore, India

“…ii) Mental wellbeing: The DASS-21 scores obtained indicate that 18.5%(n=41) had a score ranging from: 0-4. 31.1%(n=69), 9.9%(n=22), 23.4%(n=52) and 17.1%(n=38) of the study population suffered from extremely severe (14-21), severe (11)(12)(13), moderate (7-10) and mild levels (5-6) of depression respectively. Regarding anxiety, 29.3%(n=65) received a normal anxiety score ranging from: 0-3.…”

“…All the questions were marked as required. An age limit was set through google forms (age range: [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]). This ensured that the responses that did not meet the inclusion criteria were filtered out immediately.…”

“…These 21 items are divided into 3 subscales with 7 items each which measure levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The scores as described in DASS-21 are normal (0-4), mild (5)(6), moderate (7-10), severe (11)(12)(13) and extremely severe (14-21) for depression. For anxiety, the scores described range from normal (0-3), mild (4-5), moderate (6-7), severe (8)(9) and extremely severe (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21).…”

“…The scores as described in DASS-21 are normal (0-4), mild (5)(6), moderate (7-10), severe (11)(12)(13) and extremely severe (14-21) for depression. For anxiety, the scores described range from normal (0-3), mild (4-5), moderate (6-7), severe (8)(9) and extremely severe (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). With regards to stress scores, DASS-21 describes the scores as : normal (0-7), mild (8)(9), moderate (10)(11)(12), severe (13)(14)(15)(16) and extremely severe (17)(18)(19)(20)(21).…”

“…For anxiety, the scores described range from normal (0-3), mild (4-5), moderate (6-7), severe (8)(9) and extremely severe (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). With regards to stress scores, DASS-21 describes the scores as : normal (0-7), mild (8)(9), moderate (10)(11)(12), severe (13)(14)(15)(16) and extremely severe (17)(18)(19)(20)(21). The DASS-21 scale has proven reliability and validity to measure the levels mentioned above [8].…”