Anxiety and public responses to covid-19: Early data from Thailand

Anxiety, perceived control and pandemic behaviour in Thailand during COVID-19: Results from a national survey

“…We compared our results with data collected in Bangkok earlier in the pandemic ( Goodwin et al, 2020 ), conducting analyses first for the complete samples and then comparing only residents of Bangkok (the first data was only collected in that city). 64.7% of respondents in the first data collection reported moderate concern about the coronavirus (compared to 64.8% in our national survey).…”

“…We therefore expected individuals from those regions reporting more infection at the time of the study to exhibit greater anxiety. In our first Thai data collection in Bangkok ( Goodwin et al, 2020 ), higher levels of anxiety were evident amongst those aged under 40. A similar negative gradient for age on psychological distress has also been reported in research in the UK, the US, China and Israel during covid-19 ( McGinty et al, 2020 ; Qiu et al, 2020 ; Palgi et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ).…”

“… Ibuka et al, 2010 during H1N1; Leung et al, 2003 during SARS). In our first cross-sectional survey, carried out at the start of the pandemic (February 2020, N = 203, Goodwin et al, 2020 ), face-to-face interviews conducted in Bangkok found low to moderate levels of anxiety about infection amongst Thai respondents. A majority (52%) of respondents suggested that they had a high level of control over their likelihood over infection.…”

“…A strong awareness of the symptoms of covid-19 was evident in early survey work conducted in the Thai capital (February 2020, Goodwin et al, 2020 ). We found almost identical levels of concern about the virus between this earlier data and the current study, but a lower level of control, potentially the result of a greater awareness of the ease in which the virus spreads and the often asymptomatic nature of disease carriers.…”

“…Alongside demographics (age, sex, marital status, occupation and region) three items assessed anxiety, adapted to allow for the non-symptomatic spread of the disease and drawing on previous work on avian influenza (subtype AH7N9) ( Goodwin & Sun, 2013 , 2014 ), as well as our earlier work in Thailand during covid-19 ( Goodwin et al, 2020 ). Items asked 1: How anxious are you about catching covid-19 ; 2: How anxious are you about your closest friends and family catching covid-19 ; 3: How anxious are you about accidentally infecting others with the virus (when you pass it on and maybe don't realise you are ill).…”