The Combined Contribution of Fear and Perceived Danger of COVID-19 and Metacognitions to Anxiety Levels during the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 anxiety and its relation to anxiety-related disorder symptoms and mechanisms

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental health of individuals, particularly in the area of anxiety-related disorders. Anxiety regarding COVID-19 has been associated with health anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Additionally, COVID-19 anxiety has been associated with anxiety sensitivity, disgust, maladaptive metacognitions, and intolerance of uncertainty. While researchers have established that anxiety disorders and anxiety-related mechanisms were associated with COVID-19 anxiety, which specific anxiety-related symptoms and mechanisms are primarily associated with COVID-19 anxiety needs to be more extensively explored. The current study sought to further this area by examining which particular anxiety-related disorder symptoms and mechanisms were uniquely associated with COVID-19 anxiety. A non-clinical sample of 593 Canadian undergraduate participants (Mage = 21.13 years; 67.7 % female) completed this cross-sectional study between September 2020 and February 2021. Participants completed online questionaries assessing anxiety-related disorder symptoms and mechanisms in addition to multiple scales of COVID-19 anxiety. When examining symptoms, health anxiety (prs = 0.17-0.29) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (prs = 0.16-0.35) symptoms had the strongest unique associations with COVID-19 anxiety. Among the anxiety-related mechanisms, disgust sensitivity (prs = 0.14-0.16) and health anxiety-specific intolerance of uncertainty (prs = 0.12-0.30) had the strongest unique associations with COVID-19 anxiety. Individuals experiencing these disorders and anxiety-related mechanisms may be at a heightened vulnerability to experiencing heightened anxiety during future pandemics. Mental health professionals should discuss COVID-19 anxiety with individuals experiencing health anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Lastly, the study highlights the significance of considering a variety of specific anxiety-related disorder symptoms and mechanisms when working to understand pandemic anxiety.

The Italian COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS): investigation of the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome and its association with psychological symptoms in an Italian population

Introduction

The COVID‐19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C‐19ASS) is a quick and reliable scale assessing dysfunctional coping strategies activated in response to COVID‐19 fear and threat. The present study aimed to provide a preliminary validation of the Italian version of the C‐19ASS and investigated whether the C‐19ASS would mediate the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and psychological outcomes.

Method

In Study 1, a community sample of 271 participants completed the Italian version of the C‐19ASS and results were subjected to a Principal Component Analysis. In study 2, a community sample of 484 participants completed the Italian version of the C‐19ASS and a series of measures assessing COVID‐19 anxiety, COVID‐19 fear, functional impairment, personality traits, depression, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Internal consistency, concurrent and incremental validity were assessed. Path analyses were run.

Results

Factor analysis identified a two‐factor solution (i.e., C‐19ASS Perseveration and C‐19ASS Avoidance) and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two‐factor model best fits the data. The Italian version of the C‐19ASS showed good internal consistency. There was also evidence of convergent validity and incremental validity. Path analyses showed that C‐19ASS Perseveration mediates the relationship between emotional stability and psychological symptoms (depression, generalized anxiety and health anxiety).

Conclusion

The Italian version of the C‐19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome could be a suitable therapeutic target to reduce psychological symptoms typically linked to pandemic events, such as depression generalized anxiety and health anxiety.