Change in anti‐COVID‐19 behaviour and anti‐immigrant prejudice during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Longitudinal evidence from five European countries

During a pandemic, it is vital to identify factors that motivate individuals to behave in ways that limit virus transmission (i.e., anti‐COVID‐19 behaviour). Fear has been suggested to motivate health‐oriented behaviour, yet fear of the virus (i.e., fear of COVID‐19) could have unintended consequences, such as an increase in anti‐immigrant prejudice. In a three‐wave longitudinal study (NT1 = 4275) in five European countries from April to October 2020, we investigated how social norms, the impact of the pandemic on individuals, and intergroup contact affected fear of COVID‐19 and—or in turn—anti‐COVID‐19 behaviour and prejudice towards immigrants. A latent change score model—distinguishing between intra‐ and inter‐individual changes in outcomes—indicated that fear of COVID‐19 influenced neither anti‐COVID‐19 behaviour nor prejudice. Anti‐COVID‐19 behaviour was increased by anti‐COVID‐19 norms (i.e., belief that others perform anti‐COVID‐19 behaviours), while prejudice was influenced by positive and negative direct and mass‐mediated intergroup contact.

Quality of Work and Job Satisfaction Among Health Workers: Moderating Effect of Corona Fear

This paper attempts to understand the impacts and fallouts of COVID- 19 on health care workers. The effect of social intelligence, emotional stability and optimistic approach are studied on the quality of work of healthcare workers along with identifying how it influenced their job satisfaction. The moderating effect of corona fear is analyzed on the quality of work and job satisfaction. Empirical data derived through face-to-face interactions with 493 health care professionals were used for testing the conceptual framework derived from recent literature. The results indicate that social intelligence, emotional stability and optimism contribute towards quality of life of health care workers. Quality of work shows significant relation with job satisfaction. Corona fear shows the moderation effect, negatively affecting the quality of work.

Post COVID-19's opportunities for customer-centric green supply chain management and customers' resilience, the moderate effect of corporate social responsibility

PurposeThis research aims to profoundly investigate the post-COVID-19's opportunities for customer-centric green supply chain management (GSCM) and perceived customer resilience by studying the correlation between fear-uncertainty of COVID-19, customer-centric GSCM, and the perceived customers' resilience. Moreover, to examine how the perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities moderates the relationship among the variables.Design/methodology/approachIn this study partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted on a sample of 298 managers and customers in the Egyptian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) market for data analysis and hypotheses testing.FindingsPreliminary results indicate that the fear-uncertainty of COVID-19 positively affects customer-centric GSCM. Also, external CSR moderates the association between fear-uncertainty towards COVID-19 and customer-centric GSCM. However, internal CSR does not moderate this relationship. Customer-centric GSCM has a significant positive impact on the perceived environmental and social resilience. However, it has an insignificant effect on the perceived financial resilience. Also, customer-centric GSCM has a significant mediation outcome on the relation between fear-uncertainty of COVID-19 and the perceived environmental and social resilience. However, this relation is insignificant regarding the perceived financial resilience.Practical implicationsManagers could develop a consistent strategy for applying CSR practices, providing clear information and focusing on their procedures to meet their customer needs during COVID-19. Governments and managers should develop a consistent strategy to apply customer-oriented green practices to achieve customers' resilience, especially during the pandemic.Originality/valueBased on the "social-cognitive,” "stakeholder” and "consumer culture” theories, this study shed light on the optimistic side of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it also brings the concepts of social responsibility, resilience and green practices back into the light, which helps in solving customers' issues and help to achieve their resilience.

Fear the fear: the historical analogies of COVID-19 in US–China relations

The impacts of the novel coronavirus (hereafter COVID-19) pose one of the greatest crises of our generation. The policy decisions that the US and Chinese governments take will shape the current order of international relations, the global supply chain of medical supplies, and US–China relations. The COVID-19 crisis leads to the empirical puzzles: how do the two great world powers construct their narratives on the global pandemic and toward each other? What are the meanings, if any, of fear in US–China relations? This study explores the narrative of fear that is constituted in the US and China discourse. The historical analogies, such as the Boxer Indemnity, sick man of Asia, and Pearl Harbor attack, offer great examples to the political construction of the "fearful” other through specific representations amid the outbreak of COVID-19. Specifically, they have become the "cultural scripts” that define how they interact and who they are. The article proceeds as follows. First, this study examines the current literature of realism, constructivism, and discourse analysis. Second, it proposes a comparative framework for understanding the expressions of fear and threat perceptions for both countries. Specifically, the "Pearl Harbor Moment” from the US, and "the Boxer Indemnity” from the Chinese government substantially shape the landscape of US–China relations. Third, it highlights how the political elites appropriate these historical analogies in constructing their political identities and offers insights into the future of US–China relations. Finally, this article concludes with thoughts on the studies on the struggle of great powers and implications for pandemic politics.

The link between fear about COVID-19 and insomnia: mediated by economic concerns and psychological distress, moderated by mindfulness

This paper adds to extant research by examining the relationship between employees' fear of coronavirus disease 2019 and their suffering from insomnia. It specifically proposes mediating roles of employees' economic concerns and psychological distress and a moderating role of mindfulness in this process. The research hypotheses are tested with survey data collected through two studies among Pakistani-based professionals: 316 in study 1 and 421 in study 2. The results pinpoint a salient risk for employees who experience fear during a pandemic crisis, in that the associated economic and psychological hardships make the situation worse by undermining their sleep quality, which eventually could diminish the quality of their lives even further. It also reveals how organizations can mitigate this risk if employees can leverage pertinent personal resources, such as mindfulness.

Was COVID-19 pandemic anxiety reflected on nutritional habits in adults?

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the reflection of COVID-19 pandemic anxiety experienced in adults on nutritional habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted with 600 adults aged between 19 and 64 years. The general characteristics of the individuals, nutritional habits, use of dietary supplements and COVID-19 pandemic anxiety before and during the pandemic period were questioned via a Web-based questionnaire. COVID-19-related anxiety was assessed using The COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S) and The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 24.0.FindingsIn this study, 49.8% of the participants stated that their appetite and food consumption amount increased during the pandemic period. The rate of use of dietary supplements among individuals was found to be 40%. It was observed that the mean body weight and body mass index increased significantly in both genders during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been determined that anxiety about COVID-19 is higher in individuals and women who start using nutritional support during the pandemic period. The total C19P-S and STAI scores of those who started using a dietary supplement during the pandemic were significantly higher than those who did not use a dietary supplement. Similarly, those whose eating habits changed positively and those who bought more packaged products had higher C19P-S scale mean scores (p < 0.05).Originality/valueDuring the COVID-19 period, it is important to reduce the anxiety levels of individuals, provide psychological support, raise awareness of adequate and balanced nutrition and the correct use of dietary supplements to adapt to the new lifestyle.

The impact of fear of external threats on unethical pro-organizational behavior

Within the context of the current global economic crisis, employees generally have a high level of fear that may lead them to use unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) to increase their sense of control. We used self-control theory to explore the mechanisms and boundary conditions of employees' fear of external threats and how this affects their levels of UPB. We conducted a twowave survey of 544 finance personnel in China. The results indicated that fear of external threats was positively correlated with UPB and that sense of control mediated this relationship. Perceived ethical climate reinforced the negative relationship between sense of control and UPB, which, in turn, weakened the positive effect of participants' sense of control, whereas fear of external threats increased the incidence of UPB. Implications are discussed.

HEALTH-RELATED ANXIETY, GENERALIZED ANXIETY, OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE TENDENCIES, AND COVID-19 ANXIETY AMONG VACCINATED AND NON-VACCINATED ADULTS DURING PANDEMIC

The objectives of the present study were two-folded: first, to examine the predictive association of health-related anxiety with generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive tendencies and COVID-19 anxiety;second, to examine the differences between vaccinated and non-vaccinated adults on health-related anxiety, generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive tendencies and COVID-19 anxiety. A purposive sample of 350 adults falling between ages of 25-55 years (Mage = 21.58, SD= 2.45) were administered Health Anxiety Inventory, Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorders Scale and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale. Results of linear regression analysis reveal health-related anxiety as significant predictor of generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive tendencies and COVID-19 anxiety. Further, independent t-test reveals that vaccinated adults scored significantly lower than non-vaccinated adults on health-related anxiety, obsessive compulsive tendencies, generalized anxiety and COVID anxiety. The implications and future directions are proposed.

Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia by George Makari (review)

Sigmund Freud in his "Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego" (1921) outlined his take on this after World War I. British psychotherapists, including some of his English followers such as Wilfried Trotter, appropriated a psychology of difference popularized by Gustave Le Bon to define the valorous "Tommy" crusading against the inherently evil "Boche." In his 1921 essay, Freud began with the claim concerning collective behavior that had long been established in the psychological literature of the late 19th century—that "a group is extraordinarily credulous and open to influence, it has no critical faculty, and the improbable does not exist for it." In the first of many striking moments in this book, Makari locates the modern origin of xenophobia—and it is not where we expected to find it: the social fascination with the "phobias" had its origin in 19th-century medicine, which quickly devolved into social metaphor, as such diagnostic categories of behavior tend to do rather quickly. Makari begins his book locating his own discomfort with being seen as "different" and trying to understand his own family, Greek Orthodox inhabitants of Ottoman Lebanon, whose trek to the United States created (as many of us know from our own family experience) "better" Americans, initially struggling as peddlers and then establishing themselves in Texas as "real" Americans.

Delusions and Fixed Beliefs in the Age of the Internet: When Do Conspiracy Theories Become Illness?

The internet, especially in the form of social media, provides an avenue for dissemination of unusual and fixed ideas. Recently, the role of conspiracy theories (CTs) in perpetuating myths about the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has attracted the attention of mental health practitioners. While extreme CTs may carry some similarities to delusions and may occur in similar socioeconomic groups, some distinctions can be made in the clinical setting. There is little evidence that social media use or gaming with virtual-reality tools on the internet cause psychotic illness, although the internet does promote CTs. Nevertheless, individuals with psychotic illness are overrepresented among internet users and this may allow for greater exposure to unusual beliefs. Future immersive experiences on the internet such as virtual reality and the metaverse may present challenges for people at risk of developing fixed beliefs, but research will be needed on this subject. [Psychiatr Ann. 2023;53(4):171–174.]

Levels of Anxiety and Fear among Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Aim. The aim of this review is to find out what levels of anxiety and fear have been shown by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background. Health security crises affect not only physical health but also the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals due to a higher level of exposure. Evaluation. A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA statement. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. The literature search was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS) electronic databases based on the keywords that the research question yielded following the PECOT strategy. For the selection of articles, original articles, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, short communication articles, and case reports were included. Then, a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, screening the results to obtain a total of 18 articles, which were used to elaborate the study. Key Issues. Fear and anxiety levels were described in a total of 18 selected studies. The main fear-related concerns of the nurses were associated with the fear of infecting their family or friends and the fear of the death of a family member or friend. Conclusions. The main psychological impact on nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic was related to fear, anxiety, stress, and depression. Fear of infecting family members or of being infected were the main impacts perceived by nurses. Implications for Nursing Management. In general, high scores were found for levels of fear and anxiety, although the figures varied by country and time of data collection. Resilience was considered the main tool for coping with the loss and trauma experienced by nurses.

The role of transnational churches in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis in South Africa

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused unprecedented suffering and death among the people of South Africa. The epidemic is associated with great fear experienced by the infected, affected and the general population. This article focuses on the role played by South African transnational churches in response to the COVID-19 crises and measures taken by the government. The article is anchored on Foucault's theory of biopolitics in which he explains the emergence ofnew political strategies implemented to regulate the lives of the species being. Foucault's account as applied to the context of this article serves as an overture to his depiction of panopticism as a system of governance. In South Africa, the haunting memory of COVID-19 and the chaos associated with it has paved the way for 'biopolitics' as a system of constant surveillance to citizens and transnational churches. Stringent lockdown regulations have been implemented in this regard after COVID-19 was declared a national disaster. A qualitative research method and an interpretivist research paradigm were adopted. Data was collected using telephone interviews with 5 transnational churches located in Durban. Key findings show that transnational churches in Durban have adhered to lockdown regulations in multifarious ways. They have continued with the theology of ministry in an attempt to replace the message of fear with the message of hope. Many have recommended their congregants to stay at home and attend church services via radio and online live streaming. It recommends religion be accommodated and coexistence with scientific knowledge systems in fighting the pandemic. Science, biomedical and clinical approach is not enough to explain the behavior and illness of human beings.

COVID-19 Fears and Preventive Behaviors among Prison Staff

This study focused on COVID-19 preventive behaviors and fears among prison staff members after the first wave of the pandemic. Cross-sectional data from 171 participants were collected in Switzerland. The level of fears (58.5%) and protective behaviors (100%) were high. Correctional officers adhered less to preventive measures than other staff members (p = .001). Fears were related to a reduction of social contacts (p = .006) and worries about physical health was related to preventive behaviors in general (p = .006). There is a need to raise prison staff awareness regarding their vulnerability to the SARS-CoV-2 in order to improve the effectiveness of health campaigns in prison settings. Special attention should be given to correctional officers.

Impact of COVID-19 on mental health and career anxiety of hospitality and tourism students in the UK

PurposeThe current study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and career perspectives of the future workforce of the tourism and hospitality industry in the UK. The paper is based on theories of emotion and focuses on the interplay role of three factors of fear of COVID-19, depression, and future career anxiety.Design/methodology/approachThe current research uses a mixed-method approach in two studies to answer the research questions. First, an online questionnaire was distributed among 197 current tourism and hospitality students in the UK. In the second phase through a qualitative approach and 17 semi-structured interviews, a more in-depth approach was taken to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the future career perspectives of the respondents.FindingsFindings reveal a high level of mental health disorders among respondents. The majority of respondents suffer from some sort of mental health conditions/disorders that affect their moods, thinking, and behaviors. The results further show that the fear of COVID-19 causes depression which results in career anxiety.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that the future tourism workforce in the UK is likely to suffer from some sort of mental health disorder that can influence their performances in the workplace. Companies are advised to make adjustments that help to protect the well-being and psychological health of their staff.Originality/valuePrevious studies used a snapshot in time only with a focus on the immediate and short-term effects of the pandemic. In the current study, by taking a long-term impact approach, the authors attempted to understand the psychological impact of the COVID-19 on the future workforce of the tourism industry in the UK and offered practical implications for stakeholders.

The "IslamoCovid" response: British Muslim mobilization(s) at the intersection of COVID-19 and Islamophobia

One of the negative developments of the COVID-19 pandemic is the manner by which ethnic, racial, and religious minorities have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. In Great Britain, British Muslims have been adversely affected by this label as they have been disproportionately affected by the virus and stigmatized as super-spreaders by mainstream political parties and right-wing organizations. In response, British Muslims are actively mobilizing in civil society to challenge the super-spreader narrative while emphasizing the centrality of their Islamic faith in protecting their community - and the British public - from COVID-19. In this paper, we elaborate on three frameworks that explicate the British Muslim community's response to COVID-19 and its accompanying Islamophobic frames: The emphasis on the individual's responsibility to God, family, and self;the commitment of the British Muslim community to the society and the State;and the reframing of COVID-19 best health practices as Islamic in orientation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Police officers' punitiveness in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of fear, attribution and self-legitimacy

PurposeThe focus of this study is to examine Indian police officers' punitiveness toward violators of criminal sanctions attached to COVID-19 mitigation laws enacted by the Indian Penal Code. The authors draw from the conceptual frameworks and correlates typically employed in traditional crime and justice research and adapt them to the context of the pandemic. Additionally, the authors examine whether officers' punitive attitudes are related to their belief in self-legitimacy and their job assignment (civilian vs. armed personnel) in a country with inherited colonial policing legacies.Design/methodology/approachData for the study came from 1,323 police officers in a northern state of India.FindingsFindings suggest that officers with vicarious fear of COVID-19 infections (e.g. infection of family members) find the sanctions associated with the new laws harsh. Additionally, officers who subscribe to the classical attributions of offenders feel that the laws are not punitive enough. In contrast, those with deterministic views perceive the sanctions as excessively harsh. Findings also suggest that officers' self-legitimacy, and belief in the authority and responsibility vested in them, is a key predictor of their punitive attitudes. Finally, officers assigned to police lines are more punitive than those designated to patrol/traffic work.Research limitations/implicationsData or prior research on officers' punitive attitudes toward other violations (non-COVID-19 violations) is unavailable for comparison with this study's findings.Originality/valueNo prior research has examined the relationship between police officers' perceptions of self-legitimacy, their belief in the authority vested in them by the state, their belief in their role as police officers and their relationship to their punitive attitudes.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic related stressors on patients with anxiety disorders: A cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures are affecting mental health, especially among patients with pre-existing mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the first wave and its aftermath of the pandemic in Germany (March-July) on psychopathology of patients diagnosed with panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobia who were on the waiting list or in current treatment at a German university-based outpatient clinic. From 108 patients contacted, forty-nine patients (45.37%) completed a retrospective survey on COVID-19 related stressors, depression, and changes in anxiety symptoms. Patients in the final sample (n = 47) reported a mild depression and significant increase in unspecific anxiety (d = .41), panic symptoms (d = .85) and specific phobia (d = .38), while social anxiety remained unaltered. Pandemic related stressors like job insecurities, familial stress and working in the health sector were significantly associated with more severe depression and increases in anxiety symptoms. High pre-pandemic symptom severity (anxiety/depression) was a risk factor, whereas meaningful work and being divorced/separated were protective factors (explained variance: 46.5% of changes in anxiety and 75.8% in depressive symptoms). In line with diathesis-stress models, patients show a positive association between stressors and symptom load. Health care systems are requested to address the needs of this vulnerable risk group by implementing timely and low-threshold interventions to prevent patients from further deterioration. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A Study on Model of Psychotherapy Narration Focused on Mental Well-Being for Stress Management in the Elderly

Psychological well-being is vitally important for the quality of life of the elderly and is only increasing in importance with the rapidly increasing elderly population worldwide. Emerging elderly problems include a deterioration in physical function, loss of friends or spouse, reduced social participation, and reduced economic ability. Hence, the importance of coping with and managing stress in the elderly is also rapidly increasing. This study proposed psychotherapy narration was designed to assist elderly mental well-being by combining person-centered therapy, positive psychology, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Extending from current mainstream psychotherapeutic methods, postmodern psychotherapeutic techniques based on various psychological theories or techniques have begun to be more widely applied. However, almost no previous studies have developed a systematic psychotherapy narration for the elderly. Therefore, this study developed a postmodern psychotherapeutic narration and confirmed its aspects by analyzing elderly satisfaction regarding the corresponding emotion. This satisfaction analysis study found the value of the psychotherapy-narrative model according to the elderly's stressful situations and emotions. This study can be an initial model of postmodernist-psychotherapy narration for the elderly. Therefore, based on the model of this study, future-oriented development and research on the diversity of the elderly and the effects of each narration are important. The future of this study will give mental self-sustainability to clients who need psychotherapy.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the COVID-19 phobia scale

Background and Objectives: It is predicted that the negative effects of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic will continue. These negative effects are not limited to psychological problems. Serious physiological and economic problems have also been observed. It is important to develop and standardize appropriate tools to assess its different effects. This study aims to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S) in Iranian samples. Methods: In this study, participants were people aged 18-60 years in Iran from March to May 2022, who were selected by a convenience sampling method. In order to evaluate the convergent and discriminant validity, the second version of the acceptance and action questionnaire, the brief version of the difficulty in emotion regulation scale, and the fear of COVID-19 scale were used. The factor structure of the questionnaire was examined by confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the test-retest method. The data were analyzed in SPSS version 25 and LISREL version 8.8. Results: The results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor structure the Persian C19P-S. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole scale was 0.90;for the subscales of psychological, psychological, economic and social factors, it was 0.87, 0.88, 0.89, and 0.91, respectively. In addition, the test-retest reliability with a four-week interval for the whole scale was 0.86;for the subscales of psychological, psychological, economic and social factors, it was 0.83, 0.79, 0.82, and 0.88, respectively. The correlation coefficients indicated the favorable convergent and discriminant validity of the Persian C19P-S (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The Persian C19P-S is a reliable and valid scale for measuring coronaphobia in Iranian samples.

THE NARRATIVES OF HATE USED BY ROMANIAN PARTIES LABELLED AS FAR-RIGHT. A COMPARATIVE NARRATIVE ANALYSIS

This article presents a qualitative comparative analysis of the primary hate narratives employed by three political parties: the Iron Guard Party propaganda, the Greater Romania Party (PRM), and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR). The study focuses on the following variables: 'foreigners,' 'freemasons,' 'Jews,' 'protection of Faith and Nation,' and 'rotten political elites.' The analysis is based on official propaganda materials of each party, including patriotic songs, leaflets, newspapers, programmatic documents, and speeches of the leader for the Iron Guard. In the case of the PRM, the analysis includes the party's official program, ideology, poems, and pamphlets by the leader (Corneliu Vadim Tudor), speeches, interviews, press articles, and extracts from party journals Romania Mare (Greater Romania) and Tricolorul. The AUR's official website, political program and ideology, Facebook posts, pages, press interviews, articles, and speeches of its leaders constitute the object of analysis. The narratives extracted were analyzed using the ATLAS.ti software, revealing striking resemblances among the hate narratives employed by the parties.