Differential effects of psychological distress on mitigation and vaccination: A public health conundrum

Myerson, Joel; Strube, Michael; Green, Leonard; Hale, Sandra; Bernstein, Bridget

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923056

Cited by 4 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…These findings, taken together with the observed effects of lockdowns, strongly support the fundamental assumption of the differential distress hypothesis : Social deprivation is a major source of the psychological distress associated with the pandemic [ 11 , 30 ]. The findings concerning the UK lockdowns, in particular, raise the question of why people of different ages and genders differ in their sensitivity to such deprivation.…”

Section: Age and Individual Differences In Psychological Distresssupporting

confidence: 70%

“…We recently hypothesized that social deprivation has been a major cause of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 11 , 30 ]. We hypothesized further that if social distancing increased feelings of isolation, it could lead distressed individuals to avoid engaging in distancing and exacerbating their distress.…”

Section: Age and Individual Differences In Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, our recent findings are consistent with the hypothesis that distress does have differential effects on vaccination and mitigation behaviors such as social distancing. Specifically, distress levels were negatively correlated with distancing but positively correlated with vaccination, although the strength of these relations, like the degree of distress, decreased with age [ 11 ].…”

Section: Age and Individual Differences In Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consistent with our hypothesis regarding the social source of distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, we found previously that loneliness (as measured by the Three-Item Brief Loneliness Scale [ 31 ]) was correlated ( r = 0.528, p < 0.001) with distress (as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [ 32 ]. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relative contributions of loneliness and other pandemic-related concerns (i.e., community-related and personal concerns about the consequences of the pandemic, participants’ estimates of the likelihood of infection, and the number of acquaintances hospitalized [ 11 ]). A reduced model with only the two significant predictors (loneliness and estimated chance of infection) accounted for 43.4% of the variance in distress.…”

Section: Age and Individual Differences In Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With respect to psychological distress, it has been known for some time that distress increases the risk of infections by interfering with the function of the immune system [ 9 , 10 ]. More recently, studies have shown that distress also increases the risk of infection by interfering with mitigation behaviors such as social distancing [ 11 ]. Because of these things, it is fortunate that the level of psychological distress experienced by adults decreases with age, as evidenced by the results of national surveys of very large, representative samples such as the aforementioned NSDUH and HILDA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Distress Signals: Age Differences in Psychological Distress before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hale

Myerson

Strube

et al. 2023

IJERPH

Self Cite

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Psychological distress reached historically high levels in 2020, but why, and why were there pronounced age differences? We address these questions using a relatively novel, multipronged approach, part narrative review and part new data analyses. We first updated previous analyses of national surveys that showed distress was increasing in the US and Australia through 2017 and then re-analyzed data from the UK, comparing periods with and without lockdowns. We also analyzed the effects of age and personality on distress in the US during the pandemic. Results showed distress levels and age differences in distress were still increasing through 2019 in the US, UK, and Australia. The effects of lockdowns in 2020 revealed the roles of social deprivation and fear of infection. Finally, age-related differences in emotional stability accounted for the observed age differences in distress. These findings reveal the limitations of analyses comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic periods without accounting for ongoing trends. They also suggest that differences in personality traits such as emotional stability modulate responses to stressors. This could explain age and individual differences in both increases and decreases in distress in response to changes in the level of stressors such as those occurring prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section: Age and Individual Differences In Psychological Distresssupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Age and Individual Differences In Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Age and Individual Differences In Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Age and Individual Differences In Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Distress Signals: Age Differences in Psychological Distress before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hale

Myerson

Strube

et al. 2023

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Attitude to vaccination against COVID-19 in patients with non-psychotic mental disorders

Khalezova,

Kostyleva,

Kissin

et al. 2024

VIČ-infekc. immunosupr.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the increasing prevalence of non-psychotic mental disorders and the rise of antivaccination tendencies.The aim of the study was to describe the attitude to vaccination against COVID-19 in patients with non-psychotic mental disorders, as well as in mentally healthy individuals.Materials and methods: a survey was conducted of 100 outpatient patients with psychiatric diagnoses of non-psychotic level: organic mental disorders (14), affective disorders (38), neurotic and stress-related disorders (48), as well as 30 people without mental disorders.Results and discussion. There was no association between the severity of COVID-19 and an adverse reaction to the vaccine. A high incidence of skepticism about vaccination against COVID-19 was noted in women, in the older age group, in people with higher education and highly qualified work, but poorly informed about immunoprophylaxis. Post-vaccination complications (fever, general weakness) after immunization against COVID-19 were more often detected in patients with affective disorders, however, this group of patients showed the most loyal attitude to vaccination. Patients with organic mental disorders shown the lowest degree of approval of vaccination against COVID-19, they cited fear of possible «side effects» and «lack of proven benefit» as the main reason for not being vaccinated.Conclusion. Vaccination of the population of all countries affected by COVID-19 has exacerbated such a phenomenon as doubt about the benefits of immunoprophylaxis. The results of the article can be extrapolated to the future development of new drugs in the field of immunoprophylaxis.

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Navigating the Shadows of Others’ Traumas: An In-Depth Examination of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Psychological Distress among Rescue Professionals

Noureen,

Gul,

Maqsood

et al. 2023

Behavioral Sciences

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Rescue workers, who often find themselves on the frontlines of traumatic events, face an increased risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress (STS) and psychological distress (PD). The nature of their work, alongside professional factors, can influence the way these psychological aspects manifest and their level of severity. This study aimed to explore the relationship between STS and PD in rescue workers. Additionally, it sought to understand how factors such as age, years of experience, duration of work, training received and direct exposure to trauma explain significant variations in reporting to STS. To conduct this research, a cross-sectional study design was implemented involving a sample of 80 rescue workers from the Punjab province in Pakistan. Data was collected over eight weeks using the secondary traumatic stress scale (STSS-17) and the general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) as primary assessment tools. Participants’ data was analyzed through Pearson correlation analysis, t-tests, and ANOVA. A strong positive correlation between STS and PD among rescue workers was established. Age significantly explains variation in scores, with older workers displaying reduced STS and PD symptoms. Rescue workers working for longer hours reported elevated STS compared to those working shorter shifts. Workers with more extended professional experience showcased lower STS, highlighting the potential resilience acquired over time. The study also underscored the importance of training duration: longer, well-structured training was associated with decreased STS and PD. Interestingly, longer exposure to trauma was found to be related to lower STS scores, albeit this warrants further investigation. This study underscores the intertwined nature of STS and PD among rescue workers and the various modulating factors. The study paves the way for more comprehensive research, expanding geographically and demographically.

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Differential effects of psychological distress on mitigation and vaccination: A public health conundrum

Cited by 4 publications

References 32 publications

Distress Signals: Age Differences in Psychological Distress before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Distress Signals: Age Differences in Psychological Distress before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Attitude to vaccination against COVID-19 in patients with non-psychotic mental disorders

Navigating the Shadows of Others’ Traumas: An In-Depth Examination of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Psychological Distress among Rescue Professionals

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