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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted people's psychological functioning, including how they cope with anxiety. This study aimed to assess the role of coping styles in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and Washing ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder (W-OCD) symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 420 people living in Kashan city (Iran) from March to April, 2020. Participants were selected by the convenience sampling method due to the difficulties brought about by COVID-19 and completed the contamination subscale of the Padua Inventory, COVID-19 anxiety inventory, and coping strategies scale. Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS-22. Results: The results revealed that emotion-focused, somatization and social support coping strategies were significantly associated with W-OCD symptoms. Also, there was a significant correlation between COVID-19 anxiety and the W-OCD symptoms. SEM results revealed that emotion-focused and somatization coping strategies positively mediated the relationship between COVID-19 and W-OCD symptoms. Conclusion: Emotion-focused and somatization coping strategies increase W-OCD symptoms following COVID-19 anxiety. Psychoeducation interventions addressing COVID-19's physical and psychological impacts on health, discriminating the rational and adaptive behavior and obsessive and compulsive behaviors, and restricting the information gathering from numerous sources, which may lead to increased negative emotions, might be helpful. © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Background: The prevalence of anxiety and depression is high in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. As RA patients tend to be immunodeficient, they are at greater risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection due to their scheduled hospital appoint-ments. Therefore, they have become more anxious and worried during COVID-19 pandemic, and some patients recently have can-celed or postponed their treatment. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of stress, anxiety, and depression due to COVID-19 outbreak on non-compliance to treatment among RA patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 149 RA patients (male/female = 12: 137). Four questionnaires, including the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), 18-item Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-18), and 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) were employed. The questionnaires were filled by the researchers on behalf of the participants using telephone interviews due to social distancing protocol. Results: There was a significant negative correlation between stress (P = 0.001), anxiety (P < 0.001), health anxiety (P = 0.014), and depression (P = 0.001) and compliance to treatment among RA patients. However, anxiety was the only predictor for non-compliance to treatment. Conclusions: Therapists should be aware of the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression among their RA patients, especially during stressful life events, and carefully monitor their compliance to treatment to prevent exacerbation of RA.
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Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine the health anxiety of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Material and methods: We performed a descriptive study conducted on 600 students. The short form of the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-18) was completed by the students at the outset of the study, and one month later when the COVID-19 virus was named as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the questionnaire was completed again by the same students, and their health anxiety was compared with that at the outset of the epidemic in Iran. Results: Analysis of the first results of HAI-18 showed that 47% of the medical students had severe anxiety, and after one month and re-completion of the questionnaire by the same individuals, this rate rose to 84%, indicating a significant difference (p < 0.001). The general score of the students' anxiety increased from 34.8 ±7.35 to 47.1 ±9.5 (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in students' health anxiety scores in terms of gender, university faculties, and academic programs (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The increased health anxiety among medical students in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic should be taken into serious consideration. Providing psychological and social support for students by focusing on their normal study routine can reduce their stress during the global coronavirus epidemic.
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Objective: Sleep disturbances are reported as common in children during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study was designed to investigate relationship between sleep problems of children and depression/anxiety symptoms in both children and their parents. Methods: A total of 372 parents completed a web-based survey on sociodemographic and clinical data. The psychiatric status was assessed using Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI), Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale–Parent Version (RCADS-P), and Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Results: It was found that significant sleep disturbances were higher in school-aged children (P =.015). HAI and RCADS-P scores were higher in children with sleep disturbances in all developmental periods. DASS-21 subscale scores were higher in preschoolers and school-aged children with significant sleep disturbances. Conclusion: Depression and anxiety symptoms in children and parents are associated with sleep problems in children. In addition, school-aged children can be thought to be more at risk for depression/anxiety symptoms and sleep problems. Psychiatric evaluation of children and their parents is recommended when sleep problems occur in children during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Introduction: Safe and effective prophylactic vaccines are needed to control rapidly advancing COVID-19, which has devastating medical, economic, and social consequences. It is believed that one of the most critical obstacles to vaccination activities is negative attitudes towards vaccines. This study aimed to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine rejection and hesitation after initiation of the national vaccination program. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using an online questionnaire. Participants' socio-demographic and clinical data and COVID-19 outbreak experiences, attitudes towards the vaccine of COVID-19 were collected through a specially designed structured questionnaire. The participants were also asked to complete Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) and Health Anxiety Scale (HAS). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to reveal the factors predicting vaccine hesitancy and rejection. Results: A total of 1,546 completed responses were received. Vaccine hesitation and refusal rates were 8.9% and 9%, respectively. Older age, high education level and lower concern on the vaccine was observed in participants that accepted vaccination compared to patients who refused and hesitated vaccination. High education levels and healthcare workers had decreased risk of vaccine hesitancy. High Death Anxiety Score and being a healthcare worker had decreased risk for vaccine refusal. Concern about the vaccines was the most important risk factor for vaccine hesitancy and refusal. Conclusion: Our study suggested that vaccine hesitancy was related to lower education level, and negative concern about the vaccine. Vaccine refusal was related to history of COVID-19 infection, negative concern on the vaccine, non-healthcare occupation, and higher level of death anxiety scale.
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INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused general anxiety worldwide. Pregnant women are at a much higher risk of developing the infection due to multiple changes that occur in the body during this period. The consequences of the disease can be dramatic not only for the expectant mothers, but also for their unborn children. SARS-CoV-2 infection is generally known to cause serious concerns about future health and life. The data on the severity of COVID-19 pandemic-related anxiety in pregnant women are insufficient. The aim of the study was to assess the level of COVID-19-related anxiety among pregnant women in Poland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 173 pregnant women who volunteered for the research. The research was conducted by means of an online diagnostic survey containing an original questionnaire and the following standardized tools: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). RESULTS: Women hospitalised during pregnancy differed statistically significantly in terms of STAI-X1 scores. Primiparas obtained statistically significantly higher SHAI scores than multiparas. Women with higher education had higher SHAI scores. In the GAD-7 scale, 13.3% of respondents obtained a score suggesting a suspected generalised anxiety disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women are concerned about both developing COVID-19 and the consequences of infection for themselves and their unborn children. The study demonstrated anxiety of varying severity (depending on the tool used). Hospital stay during pregnancy is an additional stressor in expectant women. Further studies are needed to assess the level of COVID-19-related anxiety to assess this phenomenon in Poland in more detail.
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INTRODUCTION: Fear of infection with SARS-CoV-2 has become widespread. All over the world, since the very beginning of the pandemic, older adults have been considered one of the groups at highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death due to COVID-19. The aim of the study was to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms related to COVID-19 in the older adults who are participants of the Universities of the Third Age in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included participants of the University of the Third Age in Poland. A total of 296 persons were enrolled, including 258 women and 38 men. The study was a diagnostic survey, conducted with the use of the following validated psychometric scales: General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS: In two scales (STAI and SHAI), the mean scores demonstrated mild symptoms indicative of anxiety disorders in the older respondents. Women and men did differ significantly in terms of the scores obtained in STAI X-1 and STAI X-2. Single respondents differed significantly from divorced ones in terms of STAI X-1 scores. Moreover, widows/widowers differed significantly from divorced ones in terms of STAI X-2, and GAD-7 scores. Respondents declaring their financial status as average differed significantly from those declaring their financial status as good in terms of: STAI X-1, STAI X-2, SHAI, and GAD-7 scores. CONCLUSIONS: The subjective experience of anxiety symptoms associated with fear of contracting COVID-19 was increased due to the ongoing pandemic, but was not significantly high in the analysed population of older people. COVID-19-related anxiety was significantly more common in lonely individuals and in those of worse financial status. Women and men differed significantly in terms of perceived state anxiety and trait anxiety measured by STAI. More studies addressing COVID-19-related anxiety in older people participating in the Polish Universities of the Third Age are needed to determine a more accurate distribution of this phenomenon in Poland.