The Threat of COVID-19 and Job Insecurity Impact on Depression and Anxiety: An Empirical Study in the USA

Abstract

As the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic causes a general concern regarding the overall mental health of employees worldwide, policymakers across nations are taking precautions for curtailing and scaling down dispersion of the coronavirus. In this study, we conceptualized a framework capturing recurring troublesome elements of mental states such as depression and general anxiety, assessing them by applying standard clinical inventory. The study explores the extent to which danger control and fear control under the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) threat impact job insecurity, with uncertainty phenomenon causing afflicting effect on the experiential nature of depression heightened by anxiety. With the aim to explore the job insecurity relationship with anxiety and depression, and measure the impact of EPPM threat, an empirical study was conducted in the United States on a sample of 347 white collar employees. Demographic data, EPPM threat, job insecurity, anxiety, and depression data were collected via a standardized questionnaire during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The questionnaire consisting of multi-item scales was distributed online. All the scale items were evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. SEM software AMOS version 23 was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood estimation. In the structural model, relationships between the threat of COVID-19, job insecurity, anxiety, and depression were assessed. The findings of the study suggest that job insecurity has a significant impact on depression and anxiety, whereas the threat of COVID-19 has a significant impact on depression. Mediating effects of job insecurity and EPPM threat impact on anxiety were not established in the study. The study contributes to the apprehension of the repercussions of major environmental disruptions on normal human functioning, and it investigates the effects of self-reported protective behaviors on risk perception. The study also explains the underlying mechanisms of coping behavior as possible antecedents to mental disorders. When subjected to stressful events, heightened psychological arousal causes physical and psychological challenges of affected employees to manifest as behavioral issues.

Factors Associated With Underprivileged E-Learning, Session Jam Phobia, and the Subsequent Mental Distress Among Students Following the Extended University Closure in Bangladesh

“…The students with academic uncertainty and job insecurity were nearly 2.5 times more likely to be moderate to severely distressed than their reference group. It is comprehensible that COVID-19 induced academic uncertainty has exacerbated job insecurity among university students, triggering psychological depression, and anxiety ( 57 ). Besides, according to our outcomes, the online exam phobia and dissatisfaction with the current online educational programs significantly influenced the mental health complications.…”

Relationships between Occupational Stress, Change in Work Environment during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Non-Healthcare Workers in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…A study in Serbia among different categories of employees, demonstrated that job uncertainty and the fear of COVID-19 related to work-related distress [ 48 ]. In the U.S.A., another study among white-collar employees indicated that job insecurity has a substantial impact on depressive and anxiety symptoms, [ 49 ]. Moreover, few studies have mentioned non-HCWs’ occupational stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, although the CDC has indicated potential common work-related factors that can increase stress during the COVID-19 pandemic; these include the “Uncertainty about the future of your workplace and/or employment,” “Managing a different workload,” “Lack of access to the tools and equipment needed to perform your job,” “Learning new communication tools and dealing with technical difficulties,” and “Adapting to a different workspace and/or work schedule” [ 45 ].…”

Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Manitoba grocery sector: a qualitative analysis of media, organizational communications, and key informant interviews

“…However, we are limited by the inclusion of only eight participants at one point in time, who remained working during the pandemic. Perspectives of employees who left the grocery sector would provide additional, likely different perspectives, particularly given evidence that job insecurity is associated with adverse effects on wellbeing [ 50 , 51 ]. This should be an area of future research.…”