Coping with emotions in pandemic as a factor of somatic complaints during lockdown

Introduction: Increase in affective and somatic complaints during pandemic is considered as related to experienced stress (Wang et al., 2020, Roy et al., 2020, Robillard et al., 2020). Expression or suppression of emotions related to pandemic could affect the vulnerability of people to stressful situations (Gross, Thompson, 2007, Roberts et al., 2008). Objective(s): The aim was to reveal a role of suppression / expression emotions regarding pandemic in the changes in somatic and affective complaints in people without coronavirus during lockdown. Method(s): In May 2020 110 people 18-65 years old (61.2% females) without coronavirus appraised their strategy of dealing with different emotions regarding pandemic on the 1-5 scale from emotional expression to hiding and suppression (Cronbach's alphas) and 26 somatic and emotional symptoms including sleep-related symptoms, daytime functioning, affective symptoms, general physical condition (Cronbach's alphas .81-.90). In December 2020 they reappraised 26 complaints. Result(s): There were no statistically significant changes in somatic and affective complaints during May-December 2020 (p>.20). Increase in sleep-related complaints (beta=.23, p<.05, DELTAR2=5.0%) and complaints regarding general physical condition (beta=.32, p<.05, DELTAR2=10.0%) were more pronounced in those reporting higher expression of emotions related to COVID. Conclusion(s): People with higher emotional reactivity to pandemic situation tend to report increase in sleep-related problems and general worsening of their physical condition during lockdown.

Thwarted belongingness as a factor of lower anxiety of being infected and power adherence to recommendations in pandemic in female adolescents

Introduction: Poor adherence with recommendations during pandemic is wide-spread and increases populational risk of being infected (Smith et al., 2020, Webster et al., 2020, Freeman et al., 2020). Revealing psychological factors of low adherence in adolescents is important for interventions planning. This study tests the role of perceived social support and belongingness in COVIDrelated anxiety and adherence. Objective(s): The aim was to reveal relationships between COVIDrelated anxiety, monitoring of information about pandemic, adherence to recommendations and interpersonal needs in female adolescents. Method(s): 183 female adolescents (13-21 years old) filled Anxiety Regarding Pandemic Scale, Information Monitoring and Adherence To COVID-related Recommendations Scales (Tkhostov, Rasskazova, 2020), Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (Van Orden et al., 2012). Result(s): Female adolescents moderately (m+/-sd=3.32+/-1.40 of 1-6- point scale) worried about negative consequences of pandemic on their life and lowly worried about risk of being infected (m+/-sd=2.53+/-1.15). Their adherence to recommendations was upper medium (m+/-sd=3.42+/-1.18). Neither worries nor adherence were related to age. Perceived burdensomeness was unrelated to COVID-related anxiety and adherence while thwarted belongingness was related to lower anxiety of being infected (r=-.23, p<.01) and poorer adherence to recommendations (r=-.19, p<.05). Conclusion(s): In female adolescents thwarted belongingness is a risk factor of poor adherence to COVID-related recommendations because of lower anxiety of being infected.

Cognitive and emotional factors of the subjective readiness to vaccination against coronavirus in Russia

Introduction Low vaccination rate against coronavirus in Russia demands for studies of psychological factors affecting decision to vaccinate. Readiness for vaccination is related to perceptions of risk, concerns and trust in the source of the recommendations (Chung, Thone, Kwon, 2021, Flanagan et al., 2020). Objectives To study the subjective readiness for vaccination against coronavirus and its relationship with pandemic anxiety and attitudes towards vaccination. Methods 525 people aged 18 to 65 appraised their readiness to vaccination (Cronbach’s alpha .89-.90), filled out Anxiety Regarding Pandemic Scale (Tkhostov, Rasskazova, 2020), modified version Beliefs About Medication Questionnaire (Horne, 2002) that was reformulated to measure beliefs about vaccination in December 2020. Results 13.2% -17.0% participants reported readiness to be vaccinated. Low readiness rate was due to doubts and mistrust (59.0% -60.4%). Having more friends experienced coronavirus as well as severe or fatal cases of coronavirus illness among personal acquaintances were associated with higher rates of pandemic anxiety but not readiness to vaccinate. Readiness to vaccinate asap was predicted by belief in the effectiveness and lower concern about vaccination (R²=34,6%) and anxiety regarding risks and side effects of the vaccination (ΔR²=1,5%). Decision to refuse was predicted by belief that there are better alternatives of prophylaxis, doubts in effectiveness and concerns about necessity (R²=56,0%). Conclusions Decision to vaccinate is based both on cognitive confidence in the importance and effectiveness of vaccination, and on less pronounced anxiety about risks and side effects. Research is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 20-04-60072. Disclosure Research is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 20-04-60072.

COVID-19 AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING: PERCEIVED IMPACT, POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND PROTECTIVE BEHAVIOR

While negative psychological effects of COVID-19 pandemic are actively studied, little is known about the eventual positive reactions to the pandemic including the capacity to see positive opportunities in this situation and about personality resources that may help to cope and to maintain well-being despite lifestyle restrictions. The aim of our study was to reveal positive personality resources that contribute to buffering the negative effects and its consequences on individual lives. 474 adults 18-81 years old from Siberia (Russia) participated in May 2020 in a survey about the impact of the pandemic and self-isolation and also filled out psychometric measures of well-being and psychological resources (PANAS, PWI, Value of Life Scale, MHC, MSTAT-I, LOT, GSE, Hardiness Survey, SOC, Personal Life Position inventory). One in three respondents reported worsening emotional condition through the previous two weeks and poor adherence to governmental self-isolation recommendations, and 43.6% reported increased financial difficulties. Taking into account not only the negative but also positive subjective effect of the pandemic enabled the improved accuracy in prediction of both well-being and adherence to the governmental measures. The less a person mentioned the positive side of the pandemic, the more strongly their adherence to the governmental measures depended on perceived negative effects (worries and threats). Tolerance for ambiguity, the challenge component of hardiness, harmony with life predicted perceived positive effects after adjusting for negative effects. Psychological resources could play a buffering role as regards the vulnerability to negative psychological effects of the pandemic and help to find positive opportunities.

Dysfunctional anxiety in pandemic: Relationship to infodemic and behavior

IntroductionAnxiety are among the most common (Huang, Zhao, 2020, Rajkumar, 2020, Roy et al., 2020) and stable (Wang et al., 2020) mental complaints in a pandemic situation. Based on cognitive approach (Beck, Emery, Greenberg, 2005) one should differentiate unrealistic (dysfunctional) anxiety as well as different types of anxiety (Roy et al., 2020).ObjectivesThe aim was to reveal relationship of different types of anxiety with the search for information about coronavirus and protective behavior.MethodsIn April 2020 (2-3 weeks of self-isolation regimen) 409 respondents not infected by coronavirus (186 men, 223 women) aged 18 to 64 years appraised their anxiety of infection and pandemic consequences (Cronbach’s alphas .77-.82), the degree to which anxiety disturbs their usual activities, the frequency of tracking information about the coronavirus (.75) and various protective actions against the coronavirus (.76).Results17.1% reported that anxiety disturbed their activities. Anxiety of pandemic negative consequences was more prominent than anxiety of infection and was unrelated to age and gender. Anxiety of infection was higher in females (t=-5.48, p<.01, η=.26) and elder people (r=.20, p<.01). Both anxiety of infection and of pandemic consequences was equally related to information tracking and protective behavior (r=.25-.36, p<.01). Dysfunctional anxiety was unrelated to adherence to self-isolation (r=.08) but was related to information tracking (r=.21, p<.01).ConclusionsDysfunctional anxiety is unrelated to self-isolation and should be differentiated from realistic anxiety in studies of pandemic. Research is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 20-04-60072.

Beliefs about coronavirus: Relationship with magical thinking and adherence to self-isolation regimen

IntroductionPandemic is accompanied by “infodemic” that is related to higher anxiety (Moghanibashi-Mansourieh, 2020;Roy et al., 2020;Huang, Zhao, 2020). We suggest that indefinite and stressful situation of pandemic provoke magical thinking leading to lower adherence with recommendations for self-isolation.ObjectivesThe aim was to reveal the structure of beliefs about reasons, manifestation and consequences of coronavirus and their relationship with magical thinking, anxiety and COVID-19-related behaviour.MethodsIn April 2020 (2-3 weeks of self-isolation regimen) 402 adults aged 18-64 years old filled checklist including beliefs about pandemic (based on the model of Leventhal et al., 2003), Magical Ideation Scale Eckblad, Chapman, 1983) as well as scales measuring anxiety and protective behaviour in pandemic and monitoring of information about coronavirus (Tkhostov, Rasskazova, 2020).ResultsFactor analysis revealed three groups of radical beliefs about coronavirus (48.6% of variance, Cronbach’s alphas .62-.75). Belief about the particular meaning of coronavirus was associated with the magical thinking (r=.21), less anxiety about infection (r=-.19) and poorer adherence to self-isolation (r=-.26). Belief in the negligence as a cause of coronavirus was more typical for those with better adherence (r=.18) while catastrophic beliefs about the consequences of pandemic were related to frequent monitoring of the information about the pandemic (r=.24), and anxiety regarding future negative consequences of the pandemic (r=.46).ConclusionsDysfunctional beliefs about coronavirus could be a factor of poorer adherence related to magical thinking and could be addressed in psychological interventions. Research is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 20-04-60072.

[Psychological factors of sleep and daytime complaints during the COVID-19 Lockdown: the role of anxiety, well-being, autonomy, and coping]. / Psikhologicheskie faktory, svyazannye s zhalobami na narusheniya sna i dnevnogo funktsionirovaniya v period samoizolyatsii (COVID-19): rol' trevogi, blagopoluchiya, avtonomii i sovladaniya.

OBJECTIVE: To reveal psychological (anxiety, coping with pandemic stress, autonomy) and behavioral (compliance with recommendations, monitoring information) factors associated with complaints of sleep and daytime functioning disturbances during the lockdown period in the spring of 2020. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and three adults (106 men and 97 women), aged 18 to 59 years, participated in the study. Participants filled the questionnaires 1-2 weeks after the start of the lockdown and 3-4 weeks after the first measurement. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Complaints of sleep and daytime functioning difficulties during the period of self-isolation are common in 19-30% and depend not so much on the level and content of anxiety, but on its dysfunctional level that interferes with everyday activities (ß=0.17-0.27, p<0.05, ΔR2=2.8-7.4%). Complaints of sleep are more often comorbid with complaints of pain (r=0.43) than with complaints of affective symptoms (r=0.33), and complaints of poor daytime functioning are more common among younger people and students (F=3.48, p<0.05, η2=0.05); 14.8-24.6% report improvement in sleep and daytime functioning during lockdown. Regardless of the presence of anxiety, more frequent monitoring of information about the coronavirus is associated with complaints of sleep (ß=0.15, p<0.05, ΔR2=2.0%), while general negative emotions- with complaints of daytime functioning and affective symptoms (ß=0.19-0.22, p<0.01, ΔR2=3.4-4.1%). Complaints of sleep and daytime functioning in a pandemic are more typical for people who tend to control themselves for extrinsic goals (ß=0.17, p<0.05, ΔR2=2.1-2.8%).

Click, Ignore or Repost: Subjective Assessment of the Reliability and Relevance of Information on COVID-19 in the Infodemic

The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by "infodemic", including the spread of excessive amount of information regarding coronavirus. The study aimed to reveal which role the source and online context of COVID-related information takes in the probability of clicking and reposting this information and its relationship to the reaction to the pandemic, individualism and collectivism. 396 adults who did not have COVID-19 and lived in Central (n = 207), Siberian (n = 63) and Far Eastern (n = 126) regions of the Russian Federation evaluated their expectations and subjective probability of clicking and reposting four COVID-related messages (from politician - president, health specialist - president of WHO, journalist - link to a broadcast, personal story) on the four possible backgrounds (Ministry of Health Care website, Yandex news, Facebook, WhatsApp). Then the participants filled in the Monitoring Information About Coronavirus Scale and Coronavirus-Related Anxiety Scale, modification of the brief Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Facebook was seen as equal or more trustful than Yandex. People are more ready to click the links about COVID-19 if they expect the message to be important, trustful for them and clarifying the situation, regardless of what kind of emotional changes they predict. People are more ready to repost the links about COVID-19 if they expect this message to change their mind or behavior. "Infodemic" includes not only the social processes of the spread of information but also the psychological processes of evaluation, clicking, reading and reposting.