Who is the Most Stressed During the COVID‐19 Pandemic? Data From 26 Countries and Areas

Abstract

Background To limit the rapid spread of COVID‐19, countries have asked their citizens to stay at home. As a result, demographic and cultural factors related to home life have become especially relevant to predict population well‐being during isolation. This pre‐registered worldwide study analyses the relationship between the number of adults and children in a household, marital status, age, gender, education level, COVID‐19 severity, individualism–collectivism, and perceived stress. Methods We used the COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey data of 53,524 online participants from 26 countries and areas. The data were collected between 30 March and 6 April 2020. Results Higher levels of stress were associated with younger age, being a woman, lower level of education, being single, staying with more children, and living in a country or area with a more severe COVID‐19 situation. Conclusions The COVID‐19 pandemic revealed that certain people may be more susceptible to experience elevated levels of stress. Our findings highlight the need for public health to be attentive to both the physical and the psychological well‐being of these groups.

Risk of Stress/Depression and Functional Impairment in Denmark Immediately Following a COVID-19 Shutdown

“…In contrast, a multinational study using data collected late March to early April generally find that families report the most stress during lockdown [24], but these results may simply reflect differences already existing prior to the pandemic (as our results also suggest). Whereas we hesitate to draw population-based lessons from this select survey of well-educated scientists, the authors note that strong security of employment may have contributed to their short-term satisfaction with a slower pace and a flexible work-life organization.…”

A systematic review on sex- and gender-sensitive research in public mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis

“…Country: The majority of articles concerned single countries, four studies included data from multiple countries (Chan et al, 2020;Gobbi et al, 2020;Kowal et al, 2020;Płomecka et al, Systematic Review: Sex-and gender-sensitive research on mental health during COVID-19 2020). In sum, reported data come from 66 countries (see Figure 2).…”

“…The majority operationalized sex as binary. 15 studies differentiated sex and gender with the additional options non-binary, third, other, intersex, transgender, or self-description (Alonzi, La Torre, & Silverstein, 2020;Chan et al, 2020;Fitzpatrick, Harris, & Drawve, 2020a;Gobbi et al, 2020;Hoffart, Johnson, & Ebrahimi, 2020;Hyland et al, 2020;Kowal et al, 2020;Olcaysoy Okten, Gollwitzer, & Oettingen, 2020;Park et al, 2020;Płomecka et al, 2020;Shevlin, McBride, et al, 2020;Smith et al, 2020;Thomaier et al, 2020;Tzur Bitan et al, 2020;Varshney, Parel, Raizada, & Sarin, 2020), but with comparatively very low numbers of individuals in these categories. Gender in terms of psychosocial gender dimensions (e. g. gender roles) was usually not assessed.…”

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dentists in Germany

“…As defined by earlier studies, this observation was similar in other countries among healthcare workers [ 26 , 52 ] and might be due to the reported lower levels of stress and psychological disorders of couples in a relationship in comparison to divorced or widowed individuals. Moreover, intimate and family relationships facilitate dyadic coping and social support to help as a buffer against difficult situations, which can then translate into lower levels of psychological distress [ 53 , 54 ]. In the current survey, the age factor also demonstrated a significant role in the determination of dentists’ psychological status or levels of mental tension in association with the COVID-19 outbreak.…”