Gender Effects on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Regarding the Fear of COVID-19

Maşlakçı, Ahmet; Sürücü, Lütfi

doi:10.1007/s43076-022-00227-x

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Female respondents rated fear higher with a mean score of the FCV-19S of 19.48 (± 6.87) compared with male respondents (17.73 ± 6.14). Numerous other studies also confirmed higher ratings on the FVC-19S in female respondents (Ding et al 2021 ; Maslakçı & Sürücü 2022 ; Metin et al 2022 ), which may be because of previous findings that women are more psychologically vulnerable than men to the COVID-19 pandemic (Ding et al 2021 ). Studies conducted among university students indicated that female respondents experienced greater levels of anxiety and even more so in students who are in the field of health sciences such as nursing (Alhadi & Alhuwaydi 2021 ; Martínez-Lorca et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…In comparing gender ratings on the item ‘When watching news and stories about COVID-19 on social media, I become nervous or anxious’, males rated this item significantly lower than females (2.69 ± 1.27 vs. 3.15 ± 1.42, U = 2.44, p = 0.015). This finding could be because of the various reports of higher occurrences of anxiety and stress disorders in women according to a study performed in the US investigating depression, anxiety and stress regarding COVID-19 fear (Maslakçı & Sürücü 2022 ). Heffner, Vives and Feldmanhall ( 2021 ) found that females in the general population of the US that have high levels of anxiety consume a considerable amount of COVID-19-related media information from social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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COVID-19 fear among junior undergraduate nursing students during the pandemic in South Africa

Steenkamp,

Chipps

2023

Health SA Gesondheid

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Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing students continued to work in facilities to complete clinical hours. Little was known about the impact of COVID-19 on nursing students during this time.Aim: To investigate fear of COVID-19 among junior undergraduate nursing students during the pandemic.Setting: A student nursing school at a university in the Western Cape, South Africa.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 559 nursing students. A self-administered questionnaire with the validated COVID-19 fear scale (α= 0.84) was distributed. Scale reliability, factor analysis, means and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for items, overall scale and associations with demographic variables were tested using Kruskal–Wallis Independent Samples and Mann–Whitney U tests.Results: There were 370 respondents (68.51% response rate), predominantly female (294, 79.5%) and exhibited a mean age of 21.9 years (± 3.9). More than half, 192 respondents (51.9%) reported mild fear of COVID-19, 103 (27.8%) moderate fear and 57 (15.4%) severe fear. Apart from gender, no significant demographic associations with overall COVID-19 fear were found. Factor analysis identified two distinct factors, physiological and emotional expressions of fear (moderate significant positive correlation between factors [r = 0.541]).Conclusion: The study’s findings reveal that junior undergraduate nursing students, during the pandemic, generally reported experiencing mild fear related to COVID-19.Contribution: This study contributes to the field of COVID-19 fear studies, provides insight into factors influencing fear levels and validates the scale’s factor structure.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

COVID-19 fear among junior undergraduate nursing students during the pandemic in South Africa

Steenkamp,

Chipps

2023

Health SA Gesondheid

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“…This may be because the PEH experience social isolation on a daily basis and, therefore, have fewer opportunities for social interaction and contact with others that increases their infection risk perception. In addition, PEH with less social interaction than before the pandemic may be less likely to have factors that increase COVID-19 fear, such as infection of family members, presence of an infected person close by [ 54 , 55 ], and stigma from others due to their own infection [ 56 ], and other factors that increase COVID-19 fears. Other than the above, it is also possible that living outside and trying hard to make ends meet may explain less fear of COVID-19, which need to be further examined.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of men experiencing homelessness: A cross-sectional study in Osaka, Japan

Michinaka,

Sai,

Yamauchi

2023

PLoS ONE

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The novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively impacted not only our physical health but also mental health, including increasing depressive and anxiety symptoms. In particular, socially and physically vulnerable populations, such as people experiencing homelessness (PEH), may be more likely to have their mental health worsened by the pandemic due to having more difficulty meeting basic human needs. Therefore, this study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of the homeless in Japan by evaluating depressive and anxiety symptoms and identifying the associated factors particularly, sociodemographic variables as age, employment status and the fear and perceived risk of COVID-19 infection. A cross-sectional interview survey among 158 PEH in Osaka Prefecture was conducted from April to May 2022. The survey included sociodemographic questions and history and perceived risk of infection with COVID-19. Depressive symptoms were measured using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and anxiety symptoms using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the fear of COVID-19 using the seven-item Fear of New Coronavirus Scale (FCV-19S). In this study, the prevalence of depression (PHQ-9≥10) was 38.6%, anxiety disorder (GAD≥10) was 19.0%, and high fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S≥19) was 28.5%. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that PEH in younger age groups (18–34 years), and with joblessness, higher perceived infection risk, and higher fear of COVID-19 were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety (p<0.05). These results indicate that the younger PEHs with worsened economic conditions and therefore, feel threatened by COVID-19 the pandemic are at higher risk of mental health deterioration. More focused research and mental health services need to be provided to this population in the future.

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“…In addition, having a higher level of neuroticism could determine higher levels of fear of COVID-19 when exposed to situations interpreted as being at risk of contagion. From the other side, females usually report higher levels of fear of COVID-19 [19,65].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protective and Educational Effects of Physical Activity Practice on Mental Health in Young Age during COVID-19 Lockdown

2022

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Background: The restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have modified the lifestyle of young people, worsening their mental health. Although some countries were allowed to practice outdoor physical activity (PA) in cases of lockdown, the PA level in the general population decreased. The current study aims to assess the differences in fear of COVID-19, anxiety, neuroticism, and general self-efficacy between university students who practiced PA during the second wave of lockdown and those who did not practice any PA. Methods: The sample consisted of 276 university students (176 females, 63.8%; mean age: 22.13, SD: ±3.94) who answered an online questionnaire detecting life habits (e.g., PA practice) during COVID-19 restrictions, fear of COVID-19, anxiety, neuroticism, and general self-efficacy. In addition, a 2 (gender) × 2 (physical activity) MANCOVA model was used to compare the variables’ differences. Finally, a path analysis model was performed to assess the protective effect of physical activity. Results: The students engaging in PA during lockdown showed lower fear of COVID-19, state and trait anxiety, neuroticism, and higher levels of general self-efficacy. Gender differences concerning fear of COVID-19 and a significant interaction with physical activity emerged: physically active females displayed the highest fear of COVID-19 compared to sedentary females and active males. Gender differences also emerged concerning state and trait anxiety and neuroticism. The path analysis model confirmed a light protective effect of sport/PA practice on mitigating neuroticism and anxiety, which, in turn, affect general self-efficacy. Conclusions: According to the results, it emerged that physical activity could represent a protective and educational factor for male students’ mental health during the COVID-19 restriction and partially for female ones.

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Gender Effects on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Regarding the Fear of COVID-19

Cited by 15 publications

References 42 publications

COVID-19 fear among junior undergraduate nursing students during the pandemic in South Africa

COVID-19 fear among junior undergraduate nursing students during the pandemic in South Africa

Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of men experiencing homelessness: A cross-sectional study in Osaka, Japan

Protective and Educational Effects of Physical Activity Practice on Mental Health in Young Age during COVID-19 Lockdown

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