Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adults in India: A Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT

A longitudinal follow?up design was used to study the psychological distress and coping among 168 individuals immediately after the national lockdown and after 6 months of the pandemic. Psychological distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS?21). The coping strategies used were measured by the Brief?COPE, and Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS?12) was employed to measure response to uncertainty. On follow?up, the prevalence rates for severe/very severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress had increased substantially from time 1 to time 2. The stepwise multivariate regression analyses revealed that the change in the three DASS?21 scores over time was primarily predicted by intolerance of uncertainty as measured by the IUS?12 and dysfunctional style as assessed by the coping Brief?COPE. There is a need to implement public health policies that promote psychological resilience among high-risk groups.