COVID-19 Anxiety—A Longitudinal Survey Study of Psychological and Situational Risks among Finnish Workers

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 crisis has changed the conditions of many all over the globe. One negative consequence of the ongoing pandemic is anxiety brought about by uncertainty and the COVID-19 disease. Increased anxiety is a potential risk factor for wellbeing at work. This study investigated psychological, situational, and socio-demographic predictors of COVID-19 anxiety using longitudinal data. Methods: A nationally representative sample of Finnish workers (N = 1308) was collected before and during the COVID-19 crisis. Eighty percent of the participants responded to the follow-up study (N = 1044). COVID-19 anxiety was measured with a modified Spielberger State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Psychological and situational predictors included perceived loneliness, psychological distress, technostress, personality, social support received from the work community, and remote working. A number of socio-demographic factors were also investigated. Results: Perceived loneliness, psychological distress, technostress, and neuroticism were identified as robust psychological predictors of COVID-19 anxiety. Increase in psychological distress and technostress during the COVID-19 crisis predicted higher COVID-19 anxiety. A recent change in their field of work and decreased social support from work communities predicted COVID-19 anxiety. Women and young people experienced higher anxiety. Conclusions: Different factors explain workers’ COVID-19 anxiety. Increased anxiety can disrupt wellbeing at work, emphasizing the organizations’ role in maintaining an inclusive and caring work culture and providing technical and psychological support to workers during crisis.

Intolerance of Uncertainty and Fear of COVID-19 Moderating Role in Relationship Between Job Insecurity and Work-Related Distress in the Republic of Serbia

“…Studies that examined the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on working population were mostly focused on healthcare workers as one of the most vulnerable groups (Gasparro et al, 2020;Giorgi et al, 2020;Mattila et al, 2021). One study in general working population in Finland has shown that COVID-19 anxiety was associated with perceived loneliness, neuroticism, distress (Savolainen et al, 2021). There is an evident lack of information how workers in different professions and those with more unstable job and income situation are dealing with all changes and uncertainty during a COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Loneliness and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Roles of Personal, Social and Organizational Resources on Perceived Stress and Exhaustion among Finnish University Employees

“…which were rated on a 3-point scale (1 = hardly ever, 3 = often). The scale was previously used to study loneliness during COVID-19 [17].…”

“…It contained three items (“How often do you feel lonely?”, “How often do you feel left out?”, “How often do you feel isolated from others?”) which were rated on a 3-point scale (1 = hardly ever, 3 = often). The scale was previously used to study loneliness during COVID-19 [ 17 ].…”

“…Findings during the COVID-19 pandemic support the view of the detrimental effects of loneliness. For instance, in autumn 2020, greater loneliness among Finnish workers was associated with higher COVID-19 anxiety [ 17 ]. Further, at the height of the social distancing restrictions, loneliness was associated with increased depression among Canadian respondents [ 14 ].…”

“…Moreover, during a six-week nationwide lockdown in spring 2020, among a representative sample of Austrian citizens, greater social connectedness (i.e., greater size of social network) was associated with lower levels of perceived stress and fatigue [ 46 ]. In autumn 2020, those Finnish workers who reported higher social support also reported lower COVID-19 anxiety [ 17 ]. Overall, these results suggest that social resources can serve act as a protective factor in coping with the global pandemic.…”