This study explored how individuals living in the United States were experiencing and responding to stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. Participants (N = 408; 60% non-Hispanic White) completed an online survey regarding traumatic stress, functional impairment, and use of and perceived helpfulness of various coping strategies. Results showed that 37% of participants endorsed clinically-elevated PTSD symptoms. Approximately half of participants reported changes in their daily functioning from before the pandemic to present, most notably in their number of social interactions, physical activity, and time spent working. To cope, participants reported engaging in safety planning and behavioral activation, which they also perceived to be helpful in managing stress. Avoidance coping strategies involving use of alcohol, tobacco products, or recreational substances were infrequently endorsed and perceived to be minimally helpful. These findings offer an initial, data-based glimpse into the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and shed light onto opportunities for promoting mental health and well-being during this unprecedented and multifaceted crisis.

This study examined the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on American daily life. In May 2020, adults living in the United States (N=345; 63% European American; 64% male) completed an online survey on their functioning, psychological stress, and health locus of control. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify themes in qualitative responses about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Themes included, but were not limited to, impacts on employment and finances (“I have not been paid a dime for the last eight weeks”), physical distancing practices (“I have left my neighborhood three times in eight weeks”), work environment (“I am working from home”), emotional well-being (“I feel stressed, anxious, and nervous pretty much all the time”), and social support (“I miss seeing and being with my friends and family”). Results showed moderate correlations between changes in mood and concentration, time spent caregiving and quality of caregiving, quality of social interactions and quality of work, quality of social interactions and mood, time spent working and quality of work, and number of social interactions and quality of social interactions. Being an essential worker and holding beliefs that health is determined by others and chance but not themselves was associated with increased psychological stress; holding beliefs that health is determined by others and chance also predicted changes in functioning. These findings supplement existing knowledge about the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight opportunities for promoting well-being and functioning as Americans recover from consequent health, economic, and social stressors.