Factors associated with psychological distress, fear and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the personal, professional and social life of Australians with some people more impacted than others. Objectives: This study aimed to identify factors associated with psychological distress, fear and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among residents in Australia, including patients, frontline health and other essential service workers, and community members during June 2020. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10); level of fear was assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S); and coping strategies were assessed using the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS). Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the extent of psychological distress, level of fear and coping strategies while adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Among 587 participants, the majority (391, 73.2%) were 30-59 years old and female (363, 61.8%). More than half (349, 59.5%) were born outside Australia and two-third (418, 71.5%) completed at least a Bachelor’s degree. The majority (401, 71.5%) had a source of income, 243 (42.3%) self-identified as a frontline worker, and 335 (58.9%) reported financial impact due to COVID-19. Comorbidities such as pre-existing mental health conditions (AOR 3.13, 95% CIs 1.12-8.75), increased smoking (8.66, 1.08-69.1) and alcohol drinking (2.39, 1.05-5.47) over the last four weeks, high levels of fear (2.93, 1.83-4.67) and being female (1.74, 1.15-2.65) were associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Perceived distress due to change of employment status (4.14, 1.39-12.4), alcohol drinking (3.64, 1.54-8.58), providing care to known or suspected cases (3.64, 1.54-8.58), being female (1.56, 1.00-2.45), being 30-59 years old (2.29, 1.21-4.35) and having medium to high levels of psychological distress (2.90, 1.82-5.62) were associated with a higher level of fear; while healthcare service use in the last four weeks was associated with medium to high resilience. Conclusions: This study identified individuals who were at higher risk of distress and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic specifically in the State of Victoria, Australia. Specific interventions to support the mental wellbeing of these individuals should be considered in addition to the existing resources within primary healthcare settings.

Changes in Tobacco Use Patterns during COVID-19 and Their Correlates among Older Adults in Bangladesh

“…Therefore, giving up tobacco use would potentially aid efforts to tackle not only smoking-related chronic diseases, but also the new infectious-disease threat of COVID-19 [ 17 , 25 ]. Although a recent study argued that risky behaviour increases with increased stress related to the perceived vulnerabilities of COVID-19 [ 15 ], this was not the case in our study.…”

“…Prolonged lockdown, social distancing, and self-isolation are increasing stress and fear, with the potential upsurge of tobacco use [ 14 ]. In addition, tobacco use may increase due to its use as a coping strategy for the increasing levels of anxiety and stress exacerbated by the isolation and quarantine imposed during COVID-19 [ 11 , 15 ]. The diverse nexus of intertwined biological and socio-ecological factors amid this pandemic alongside the lack of access to health care services may augment the density of depression, suicide, domestic violence, and psychiatric illnesses [ 10 ], resulting in a higher use of tobacco products.…”

The Japanese version of the Fear of COVID-19 scale: Reliability, validity, and relation to coping behavior

“…The FCV-19S scores, however, were not found to be significantly different based on other factors such as the sex, age, living with family, and presence of persons infected. Earlier studies indicated that risk factors which increase the fear of COVID-19 include being female, older, smoking, using health care services for COVID-19-related stress, worries related to lockdown, and not living with a family member [ 14 , 18 , 21 – 23 , 32 ]. Differences between the results of this study and earlier studies are likely to be attributable to social conditions.…”

“…Results obtained using FCV-19S have been found to be associated with various factors including socio-demographic and residential environments. Being female, older, smoking, using health care services for COVID-19-related stress, and worries related to lockdown are factors associated with higher FCV-19S [ 14 , 18 , 21 – 23 ].…”

Mental Health Burden of German Cancer Patients before and after the Outbreak of COVID-19: Predictors of Mental Health Impairment

“…In addition to that, recently published international literature showed that mental health burden is a serious issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Elevated prevalence of distress, depression, and anxiety symptoms were observed in various studies [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Thereby, being female, at younger age, student or unemployed, a psychiatric history, or experiencing a greater negative impact on the quality of life pose risk factors for increased depression and anxiety symptoms [ 12 , 13 ].…”