Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and psychological distress during lockdown due to COVID-19.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Rodas JA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8652999 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, several governments around the world implemented strict lockdown measures. However, these measures produced a number of negative psychological effects, such as increased anxiety and depression [1,2]. This article presents raw data from variables related to psychological distress, and from possible sources of psychological distress, such as the use of certain emotion regulation strategies, exposure to different media sources, demographic information (e.g., age, marital status, having children), or characteristics of the house (e.g., overcrowding or isolation). The data were collected online from March to June 2020 on an Ecuadorian sample of 618 participants (18-75 years old). The provided dataset could be useful to other researchers interested in investigating potential sources of psychological distress or vulnerable groups during a lockdown situation.
| S-EPMC8181774 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAlthough preliminary research has evidenced negative psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among the general population, little research has been carried out examining the interplay among the broader dimensions and correlates of individual distress. Via network analysis, the current study investigated the pathways that underlie some components of psychological distress and their changes over time (during and post COVID-19-related lockdown).Methods1,129 adult participants (79.1% women) completed a two-wave online survey during and after the lockdown, and reported on variables such as depression, anxiety, stress, fear of COVID, intolerance of uncertainty, emotion regulation and social support. The networks were estimated via Gaussian Graphical Models and their temporal changes were compared through the centrality measures.ResultsDepression, stress, anxiety and fear of COVID formed a spatially contiguous pattern, which remained unchanged in both the two waves. After the lockdown, the fear of COVID node reduced its strength in the network, whereas inhibitory intolerance of uncertainty and emotion suppression were associated with depression. Emotion regulation was connected to depression, but not to stress and anxiety during both waves. Perceived emotional support had few connections to the other nodes.LimitationsOnly 32.7% of participants provided complete responses for both waves.ConclusionThe COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant psychosocial impact on adults. In the context of the network approach, depressive symptoms had the highest strength and their associations to other dimensions of individual distress may be key factors in understanding the influence of exposure to the COVID-19 outbreak on mental health.
| S-EPMC8771473 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread worldwide, threatening public health and financial and social life.AimsThe current study's aim was to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the Greek population during the first COVID-19 lockdown, and to detect potential correlates.MethodAn anonymous online survey was conducted between 10 April and 4 May 2020, to collect information regarding people's psychological functioning and COVID-19-related perceptions.ResultsA total of 1443 individuals completed the survey; 293 (20%) reported clinically significant anxiety symptoms, 188 (12.9%) reported clinically significant depressive symptoms and 506 (36.4%) suffered from definite post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety symptoms were independently associated with female gender (β = 1.281, 95% CI 0.808-1.755, P < 0.001), educational level (β = -1.570, 95% CI -2.546 to -0.595, P = 0.002), perceived severity (β = -1.745, 95% CI -3.146 to -0.344, P = 0.015) and COVID-19-related worry (β = 7.633, 95% CI 6.206-9.060, P < 0.001). Depressive symptoms were strongly correlated with educational level (β = -1.298, 95% CI -2.220 to -0.377, P = 0.006), perceived severity (β = -1.331, 95% CI -2.579 to -0.082, P = 0.037) and COVID-19-related worry (β = 4.102, 95% CI 2.769-5.436, P < 0.001). Finally, post-traumatic stress symptoms were linked to female gender (β = 6.451, 95% CI 4.602-8.299, P < 0.001), educational level (β = -5.737, 95% CI -9.479 to -1.996, P = 0.003), psychiatric history (β = -4.028, 95% CI -6.274 to -1.782, P < 0.001) and COVID-19-related worry (β = 23.865, 95% CI 18.201-29.530, P < 0.001).ConclusionsA significant percentage of the population reported clinically important anxiety, depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Women, less-educated individuals and people with a psychiatric history appeared more vulnerable to the pandemic's psychological impact.
| S-EPMC7925978 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Prolonged periods of restrictions on people's freedom of movement during the first massive wave of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that most people engaged in all their daily activities at home. This suggested the need for the spatial features of the home and its occupants' perception of them to be investigated in terms of people's wellbeing. The present study was conducted on a large sample (N = 1354) drawn from different Italian regions. It examined the relationship between the "objective" and "subjective" dimensions of the home, measured in terms of objective home crowding and satisfaction with the space at home, in relation to perceived stress and the perceived risk of COVID-19 infection during the lockdown. The results showed that perceived stress is influenced by objective home crowding through the mediation of satisfaction with the space at home. These associations were more pronounced in younger generations. The negative association between satisfaction with the space at home and perceived stress was higher, the lower the perceived COVID-19 risk.
| S-EPMC8667350 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHundreds of papers have been published on the COVID-19 pandemic, and several of them on psychological themes connected with it, but very little is so far known on how adult patients with Cystic Fibrosis (pwCFs) are coping with this dramatic event.MethodsAn online questionnaire was developed according to the Italian validated COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) and addressed to the general population (GP). A similar questionnaire, augmented with CF specific questions, targeted pwCFs. The two web-based surveys were accessible for some weeks during the lockdown mandated by the Italian government.ResultsThe CF questionnaire was completed by 712 adult pwCFs (422 females), matched for sex and age with a 1/5 ratio to GP questionnaire respondents. Mild or medium distress affected 40.2% of pwCFs and 43.9% of GP controls, severe distress 5.3% of pwCFs and 6.2% of GP controls. The level of psychological distress was not correlated with the degree of pulmonary function impairment. When symptoms of anxiety and depression, and physical manifestations were independently analyzed, the control group featured a 55% higher level of mild-moderate anxiety symptoms. Signs of psychological distress, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and physical manifestations were significantly more frequent in female pwCFs compared to males, similarly to GP.ConclusionAdult pwCFs seem to have equal, and in some domains, lower levels of psychological distress than GP controls. This might be sustained by lifelong experiences in coping with the demands of their chronic disease. These results may orient future psychological interventions.
| S-EPMC7834149 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Recent evidence suggests that both personality traits (PT) and emotion regulation (ER) strategies play an important role in the way people cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was two folded. First, to longitudinally investigate the psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress levels) taking in consideration PT and ER strategies in 3 different moments: during the first lockdown period (April/20), at the first deconfinement (May/20) and 1-month after the first deconfinement (Jun/20)-Experiment I. Second, to cross-sectionally evaluate the impact of the pandemic in psychological distress and the correlates with PT and ER 6-months after the first deconfinement November/20 to February/21 -Experiment II. A total of 722 volunteers (Experiment I = 180; Experiment II = 542) aged 18 years or older participated in this online survey. The findings from Experiment I show that psychological distress decreased after the lockdown period, however, neuroticism traits predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, while difficulties in ER strategies were identified as a risk factor for depression and stress. For experiment II, neuroticism traits and being infected with COVID-19 were associated to higher levels of symptomatology, while unemployment and the use of emotional suppression strategies to cope with emotional situations were associated to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Although the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak decreased over time in our sample, the current findings suggest that difficulties in emotional regulation and high levels of neuroticism traits might be potential risk factors for psychiatric symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, people with difficulties in ER and neuroticism traits would benefit from psychological interventions that provide personality-appropriate support and promote emotion regulation skills during stressful events, such as the case of the global pandemic.
| S-EPMC9205515 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo longitudinally analyze the correlates of loneliness and psychological distress in people exposed to the COVID-19 lockdown, exploring the effects of age and self-perceptions of aging (SPA).MethodsA longitudinal follow-up of 1549 participants was carried out at four different time points during the lockdown in Spain. Questions about the risk of COVID-19, age, SPA, family and personal resources, loneliness, and psychological distress were measured.ResultsChanges in loneliness showed a linear longitudinal trajectory through time, but changes in psychological distress showed a U-shaped relationship with time. Age was a relevant predictor of differences in distress, with older people reporting less psychological distress. Change in both dependent variables was related to change in different predictors like family and personal variables, and also to negative SPA.DiscussionIn a stressful situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults may be more resilient to adverse mental health outcomes by using more adaptive resources that strengthen their resilience. Support is provided for the importance of stereotyped views of the aging process that, independently of chronological age, may put people at risk of suffering adverse mental health outcomes such as loneliness and psychological distress in times of crisis.
| S-EPMC7928595 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo describe how men and women divided childcare and housework demands during the height of the first Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, and whether these divisions were associated with worsening mental health during the pandemic.BackgroundSchool closures and homeworking during the Covid-19 crisis have resulted in an immediate increase in unpaid care work, which draws new attention to gender inequality in divisions of unpaid care work.MethodsData come from the wave 9 (2017-19) of Understanding Society and the following April (n = 15,426) and May (n = 14,150) waves of Understanding Society Covid-19 study. Psychological distress was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) at both before and during the lockdown, and unpaid care work was measured during the lockdown. Linear regression models were used.ResultsWomen spent much more time on unpaid care work than men during lockdown, and it was more likely to be the mother than the father who reduced working hours or changed employment schedules due to increased time on childcare. Women who spent long hours on housework and childcare were more likely to report increased levels of psychological distress. Working parents who adapted their work patterns increased more psychological distress than those who did not. This association was much stronger if he or she was the only member in the household who adapted their work patterns, or if she was a lone mother. Fathers increased more psychological distress if they reduced work hours but she did not, compared to neither reducing work hours.ConclusionThere are continued gender inequalities in divisions of unpaid care work. Juggling home working with homeschooling and childcare as well as extra housework is likely to lead to poor mental health for people with families, particularly for lone mothers.
| S-EPMC7932161 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe novel coronavirus disease pandemic is still proliferating and is not expected to end any time soon. Several lockdowns and social distancing measures might be implemented in the future. A growing body of research has explored the effect of personality on individuals' psychological wellbeing during the pandemic. However, most prior studies have not discussed the dynamic and reciprocal transactions between personality and psychological distress in various situations. Therefore, this study aims to explore the internal mechanisms of the ways in which certain personality traits triggered specific symptoms during and after college lockdown, by using network analysis.MethodsBased on survey data from 525 university students in China, the study detected the connection between individual personality and psychological distress through network analysis. Of the participants, 70.1% were female, and 20.9% were male. The mean age of the participants was 19.701 (SD = 1.319) years. We estimated networks via two steps: First, two networks that only contain the Big Five personality traits and the six symptoms of psychological distress during and after the lockdown measure were estimated. Second, we add control variables and re-estimated the networks to check whether the linkages among the Big Five personality traits and the six symptoms of psychological distress observed in the first step were stable. Moreover, we employed strength centrality as the key indicator to present the potential significance of diverse variables within a network.ResultsThe findings demonstrate that, first, "depress" was the central symptom in the network during the college lockdown, while "efforts" was the central symptom after the lockdown. Second, the symptoms of "restless" and "worthless" significantly declined after the lockdown. Third, we found that there is an internal mechanism through which personality affected certain psychological symptoms during and after lockdowns. Specifically, neuroticism triggered certain symptoms during and after the lockdown, while extraversion and conscientiousness suppressed certain symptoms. Substantial evidence on internal linkages is imperative to develop effective interventions.ConclusionThis study explores the internal mechanisms of the ways in which certain personality traits trigger specific symptoms. Overall, our results provide empirical evidence that personality traits play a key role in how individuals with certain traits respond to college lockdown during a pandemic. The study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it is among the first few studies which explores the effects of personality traits on individual psychological distress using network analysis during the pandemic.
| S-EPMC9280181 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundExtant research supports causal roles of cognitive biases in stress regulation under experimental conditions. However, their contribution to psychological adjustment in the face of ecological major stressors has been largely unstudied.ObjectiveWe developed a novel online method for the ecological examination of attention and interpretation biases during major stress (ie, the COVID-19 lockdown in March/April 2020) and tested their relations with the use of emotion regulation strategies (ie, reappraisal and rumination) to account for individual differences in psychological adjustment to major COVID-19-related stressors (ie, low depression and anxiety, and high well-being and resilience).MethodsParticipants completed an online protocol evaluating the psychological impact of COVID-19-related stressors and the use of emotion regulation strategies in response to them, during the initial weeks of the lockdown of March/April 2020. They also completed a new online cognitive task designed to remotely assess attention and interpretation biases for negative information. The psychometric properties of the online cognitive bias assessments were very good, supporting their feasibility for ecological evaluation.ResultsStructural equation models showed that negative interpretation bias was a direct predictor of worst psychological adjustment (higher depression and anxiety, and lower well-being and resilience; χ29=7.57; root mean square error of approximation=0.000). Further, rumination mediated the influence of interpretation bias in anxiety (P=.045; 95% CI 0.03-3.25) and resilience (P=.001; 95% CI -6.34 to -1.65), whereas reappraisal acted as a mediator of the influence of both attention (P=.047; 95% CI -38.71 to -0.16) and interpretation biases (P=.04; 95% CI -5.25 to -0.12) in well-being.ConclusionsThis research highlights the relevance of individual processes of attention and interpretation during periods of adversity and identifies modifiable protective factors that can be targeted through online interventions.
| S-EPMC8565804 | biostudies-literature