Exploring the Association between Negative Emotions and COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Unvaccinated Adults in Sweden

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on individuals’ mental health. This study aimed to investigate how negative emotions toward the COVID-19 pandemic, including feeling anxious, depressed, upset, and stressed, were associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Sweden. The study is a cross-sectional online survey conducted between 21–28 May 2021, using three nested hierarchical logistic regression models to assess the association. The study included 965 unvaccinated individuals, 51.2% (n = 494) of whom reported their intention to get vaccinated. We observed graded positive associations between reported negative emotions and vaccine acceptance. Individuals who experienced economic stress had lower odds of vaccine acceptance while having a positive opinion of the government’s response to COVID-19 was associated with higher odds of being vaccine-acceptant. In conclusion, unvaccinated individuals experiencing negative emotions about the pandemic were more willing to get the vaccine. On the contrary, those with a negative opinion about the government’s response, and those that had experienced economic stress were less likely to accept the immunization.

Willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19: the role of risk perception, trust in institutions, and affects

“…Concerning more specifically vaccination behaviors, Chapman and Coups (2006) highlighted that worry and regret were stronger predictors of vaccination than perceived risk and mediated positively the effect of risk on vaccination. In the same vein, unvaccinated individuals experiencing negative emotions about the pandemic were more willing to get the vaccine ( Wei et al, 2022 ). But there is no consensus on the nature of the link between affect and vaccination, since some studies show a negative link between negative affects and intention to receive the vaccine ( Berry et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ).…”

Changes in Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccination and Vaccine Uptake during Pandemic

“…A study in that country revealed that more people infected with COVID-19, even with mild disease symptoms, showed higher vaccine hesitancy than those who did not develop COVID-19 [ 19 ]. Individuals who had experienced economic stress and those with a negative opinion about the government’s response were less likely to accept immunization in Sweden [ 20 ]. The trust in non-pharmaceutical interventions, confidence in institutions, and demographic factors were associated with willingness for COVID-19 vaccination in Germany [ 21 ].…”