Tendency to Worry and Fear of Mental Health during Italy’s COVID-19 Lockdown

Abstract

Background: We tested whether the tendency to worry could affect psychological responses to quarantine by capitalizing on the opportunity of having collected data before the COVID-19 outbreak on measures of worry, anxiety, and trait mindfulness in a group of university students. Methods: Twenty-five participants completed self-report measures assessing worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire, PSWQ), anxiety (Anxiety Sensitivity Index, ASI-3), and trait mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, MAAS) at T0 (pre-lockdown, 4 November 2019–17 February 2020) and T1 (at the end of lockdown, 26 April–30 April 2020). We compared assessments at the two time points in the whole sample and in high and low worriers (defined at T0 by scores on PSWQ respectively above and below 1.5 SD from mean of the Italian normative sample). Outcomes: High worriers showed at T1 a significant increase of anxiety sensitivity and fear of mental health in comparison to low worriers. Moreover, in the whole sample, at T1 trait mindfulness was inversely related to worry and fear of mental health. Interpretation: A valuable approach to support individuals experiencing anxiety related to the COVID-19 outbreak could be represented by mindfulness-based interventions improving the ability to focus attention and awareness on the present moment.

Poor Sleep during the First Peak of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The positive relationship between anxiety and poor sleep quality has been extensively investigated and was confirmed during lockdown [ 9 , 20 , 26 ]. While the cross-sectional design of our study does not allow us to verify whether the symptoms of psychological distress that we documented were related to the restrictions imposed to curtail the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a causal relationship is plausible, as also suggested by the literature [ 9 , 10 , 15 , 16 , 20 , 28 ]. The convenience sample investigated was recruited in the Province of Reggio Emilia, one of the most affected Italian provinces during the early phase of the pandemic.…”

“…These results suggest that lockdown might impact sleep quality and that this association could be mediated by crucial determinants of health, such as physical activity and diet, and to a lesser extent, smoking and alcohol consumption, the presence of financial problems, and symptoms of psychological distress. Indeed, anxiety was widespread among the Italian population during lockdown, as were feelings of uncertainty, fear, and loneliness [ 9 , 10 ]. This impact on sleep quality was seen especially among females, those with low education level, and those who experienced financial problems.…”

Fear of COVID-19 in High School Personnel: a Survey Study in Western Mexico

“…Fear is a powerful emotion that can affect human behavior and job performance. One study on the psychological impact of quarantine in Chinese university students found that 24.9% of those interviewed experienced anxiety related to the COVID-19 outbreak (Baiano et al 2020 ).…”

Knowledge of COVID-19 and Its Influence on Mindfulness, Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Psychological Flexibility in the Indian Community

“…All of these are found to be relatively less among those with good knowledge of the pandemic and least among those who are not well-informed about the same. The latter, besides being less aware or less accepting of their thoughts, might be engaging in maladaptive thoughts and actions as well as emotional avoidance, not being able to commit to doing what is valuable to the self (Baiano et al, 2020).…”