Development and initial validation of the COVID Stress Scales

Taylor, Steven; Landry, Caeleigh A.; Paluszek, Michelle M.; Fergus, Thomas A.; McKay, Dean; Asmundson, Gordon J.G.

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102232

Cited by 942 publications

(1,259 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…This pattern was also observed with regard to other diseases/viruses; however, the effects of emerging health anxiety on reassurance and preventive behavior seemed to be more intensive for SARS-CoV-2 than for other diseases/viruses. These results are consistent with previously shown associations between health anxiety and COVID-19 related reassurance [ 13 , 20 , 28 ] and preventive behavior [ 15 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…The “non-significance” concerning avoidance behavior could be again interpreted as a sign of a high need for information regarding SARS-CoV-2 (possibly also due to the perceived novelty of the virus/pandemic situation) in “all levels” of pre-existing health anxiety. The latter result regarding reassurance behavior, on the contrary, is inconsistent with the previous shown medium correlation between SARS-CoV-2 related reassurance seeking behavior (e.g., body-checking, doctor visits) and pre COVID-19 health anxiety [ 20 ]. It could indicate, that emerging health worries are more relevant for the wish to seek reassurance regarding SARS-CoV-2 than the intensity of pre-existing health anxiety.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 88%

“…Previous studies have highlighted health anxiety as a potential risk factor for heightened virus anxiety [ 13 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], but partly lacked a differentiation between health anxiety pre and during COVID-19. In the present study, we confirmed the role of health anxiety in SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety and additionally showed that both pre-existing (pre) (retrospectively assessed) and emerging (during) health anxiety intensified the linear increase of SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The adding of items to assess preventive behavior and the use of a non-validated measure of anxiety could limit comparability and generalization of the corresponding results. Future studies should incorporate newly published instruments to assess SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety (e.g., COVID stress scales; [ 20 ]). Measures assessing specific behavior in pandemics/epidemics and differentiating regarding (dys)functionality of behavior should be developed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Health anxiety and illness attitudes were associated with virus anxiety, concerns about SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 related stress, depressive symptoms, (generalized) anxiety, death anxiety and the likelihood of self-isolation [ 13 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. While, the latter mentioned studies did not specifically differentiate between health anxiety emerged due to COVID-19 and health anxiety existing “before” COVID-19, Taylor et al [ 19 , 20 ] were the first to ask for “premorbid” health anxiety and found a significant correlation with COVID-19-related distress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emotional and Behavioral Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Distress (In)Tolerance

Sauer

Jungmann

Witthöft

2020

IJERPH

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The COVID-19 pandemic represents a worldwide threat to mental health. To optimize the allocation of health care resources, research on specific vulnerability factors, such as health anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and distress (in)tolerance, and particularly their effect on the time course of SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety appears crucial for supporting high risk groups suffering from elevated mental distress during the pandemic. N = 887 participants (78.4% female; Mage = 38.15, SD = 17.04) completed an online survey in Germany (April to mid-May 2020), comprising measures of SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety, health anxiety, safety and preventive behavior, intolerance of uncertainty, and distress intolerance. Higher levels of health anxiety pre and during COVID-19 were associated with an initially intensified increase (b = 1.10, p < 0.001), but later on a more rapid dampening (b = −0.18, p < 0.001) of SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety. SARS-CoV-2 related preventive behavior was intensified by both pre (b = 0.06, p = 0.01) and during (b = 0.15, p < 0.001) COVID-19 health anxiety, while reassurance behavior only was associated with health anxiety during COVID-19 (b = 0.14, p < 0.001). Distress intolerance and intolerance of uncertainty did not moderate the relationship between health anxiety and SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety and behavior. The results suggest detrimental effects of health anxiety on the emotional and behavioral response to virus outbreaks.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emotional and Behavioral Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Distress (In)Tolerance

Sauer

Jungmann

Witthöft

2020

IJERPH

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Public Concern About Violence, Firearms, and the COVID-19 Pandemic in California

et al. 2021

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Plans of US Parents Regarding School Attendance for Their Children in the Fall of 2020

et al. 2020

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IMPORTANCE As schools consider reopening for in-person instruction prior to availability of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, families may be weighing their priorities regarding school attendance.OBJECTIVE To characterize the association of planned in-person school attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic with factors, including family socioeconomic characteristics, and parent attitudes and beliefs about their child's school attendance. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSCross-sectional survey study. Data were collected from June 2, 2020, to June 5, 2020, weighted to reflect population norms, and analyzed using ordered probit regression. A sample of US parents (of children ages 5-17 years) were recruited using a nonprobability survey panel with stratification by socioeconomic characteristics. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThe main outcome was parent-reported plan to send their child to school or keep their child home, conditional on their school opening for in-person instruction. Additional measures assessed family socioeconomic characteristics, medical vulnerability, worry about COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome, confidence in their child's school, and homeschooling difficulties. RESULTSThe sample of 730 parents was balanced by parent sex (53% women) with successful oversampling for Black (28%; n = 201) and Hispanic (27%; n = 200) participants. In estimates weighted to US population norms, 31% (95% CI, 27% to 34%) of participants indicated they would probably or definitely keep their child home this fall, and 49% indicated that they would probably or definitely send their child to school this fall. Factors associated with planning to keep children home included lower income (38% with incomes <$50 000 vs 21% with incomes $100 000-$150 000 per year; difference, 17%; 95% CI, 9% to 26%), being unemployed (40% unemployed vs 26% employed; difference, 14%; 95% CI, 5% to 25%), and having a flexible job (33% with flexible jobs vs 19% with inflexible jobs; difference, 14%; 95% CI, 5% to 30%). Planning to keep children home was also associated with fear of COVID-19 (B = 0.19; P < .001), fear of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (B = 0.12; P = .04), confidence in schools (B = −0.22; P < .001), and challenges of homeschooling (B = −0.12; P = .01). Race and ethnicity were not significantly associated with plans to keep children home. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEIn this survey study, many parents planned to keep children home in fall 2020. Schools need to act soon to address parental concerns and provide options for what will be available for them should they opt to keep their child home. Structural barriers, such as lack of workplace flexibility and potential school-level inequities in implementation of preventive measures, must be acknowledged and addressed where possible.

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Development and initial validation of the COVID Stress Scales

Cited by 942 publications

References 32 publications

Emotional and Behavioral Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Distress (In)Tolerance

Emotional and Behavioral Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Distress (In)Tolerance

Public Concern About Violence, Firearms, and the COVID-19 Pandemic in California

Plans of US Parents Regarding School Attendance for Their Children in the Fall of 2020

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