Intolerance of uncertainty, appraisals, coping, and anxiety: The case of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic

Abstract

What is already known on this subject? It has been established that the public is often confused by the threat that a potential pandemic virus poses and that they are unsure of what information related to the disease they can trust. Government health agencies often walk the line of minimizing the threat to prevent panic, but simultaneously emphasize the importance of action (vaccination) to prevent a worldwide pandemic. What does this study add? Beyond the physical threat of a pandemic, a significant psychological toll may occur for certain individuals. Anxiety regarding H1N1 is heightened amongst those who cannot tolerate uncertainty. Appraisals of threat, control, and the use of emotion-focused coping mediate the above relationship.

Impact of Ebola experiences and risk perceptions on mental health in Sierra Leone, July 2015

“…Numerous studies have examined the mental health effects associated with other infectious disease outbreaks including the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and 2009 novel influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] The mental health impact of other emergencies, such as bioterrorism, have also been documented among survivors. 23 Psychological distress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been recorded among populations exposed to mass conflict and displacement 24 including those affected by the civil conflict in Sierra Leone between 1992 and 2002.…”

Towards a model of uncertainty distress in the context of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

“…Uncertainty reducing behaviours may also lead to perceptions of greater uncertainty and/or greater perceived severity of threat. For example, in relation to the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, a study of 1027 Canadian volunteers reported that people with high IU were more likely to perceive the pandemic as threatening and to report elevated levels of anxiety (Taha et al, 2014).…”

Health psychology and the coronavirus (COVID‐19) global pandemic: A call for research

“…The Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin has recently produced a working paper on 'Using behavioural science to help fight the coronavirus' (Lunn et al , 2020 https://www.esri.ie/system/files/publications/WP656.pdf) which in addition to personal hygiene behaviours, considers pro‐social behaviours, panic‐buying, communication, risk perception, and the impacts of isolation. In 2013, BJHP published the findings of a survey conducted during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 that indicated the importance of precise and clear information about control measures for reducing anxiety (Taha et al , 2014). Brooks et al (2020) recently published a rapid review focusing on the psychological impact of quarantine and how best to enable people to cope which reported the importance of clear information, and that voluntary quarantine is ‘associated with less distress and fewer long‐term complications’.…”