Probable anxiety and components of psychological resilience amid COVID-19: A population-based study

Abstract

Background This study examined the associations between components of psychological resilience and mental health at different levels of exposure to COVID-19 stressors. Methods A population-representative sample of 4,021 respondents were recruited and assessed between February 25th and March 19th, 2020. Respondents reported current anxiety symptoms (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]), cognitive components (perceived ability to adapt to change, tendency to bounce back after adversities) and behavioral components (regularity of primary and secondary daily routines) of resilience, worry about COVID-19 infection, and sociodemographics. Results Logistic regression revealed that cognitive and behavioral components of resilience were not correlated with probable anxiety (GAD-7≥10) among those reporting no worry. Among respondents who were worried, all resilient components were inversely associated with probable anxiety. Specifically, propensity to bounce back and regular primary routines were more strongly related to lower odds of probable anxiety among those reporting lower levels of worry. Limitations The cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Second, other resilient components and some key daily routines that could be related to better mental health were not assessed. Third, generalizability of the findings to other similar major cities is uncertain because cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in Hong Kong have been comparatively lower. Conclusions To foster mental health, cultivation of confidence in one's ability to adapt to change and a propensity to bounce back from hardship should be coupled with sustainment of regular daily routines. Such assessment and intervention protocols could be more relevant to those who suffer heightened levels of exposure to COVID-19 stressors.

The Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 Items (SAVE-6) Scale: A New Instrument for Assessing the Anxiety Response of General Population to the Viral Epidemic During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The prevalence of anxiety symptoms in the pandemic era reported ranging from 6.33 to 50.9% (Xiong et al, 2020). Studies have assessed the anxiety levels of individuals using various rating scales, such as the Generalized Anxiety Disorderseven items (GAD-7; Hou et al, 2021), Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS; Ran et al, 2020), and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (Wang et al, 2020). However, these scales do not specifically assess anxiety dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Health-related quality of life in refugee youth and the mediating role of mental distress and post-migration stressors

“…Additionally, findings suggest that the impact of war and forced migration on mental health is compounded or alleviated by the post-migration resettlement context 1 [ 3 ]. A constellation of stressors related to resettlement in a new country, such as discrimination, uncertainties related to asylum status, poor economy, lack of social support, parental illness and acculturation, have shown both a cumulative effect and differential associations depending on type of stressor [ 7 – 9 ]. These stressors have shown significance above and beyond pre-migration PTEs, even more prominently so in children and youth [ 7 , 8 ].…”

“…A constellation of stressors related to resettlement in a new country, such as discrimination, uncertainties related to asylum status, poor economy, lack of social support, parental illness and acculturation, have shown both a cumulative effect and differential associations depending on type of stressor [ 7 – 9 ]. These stressors have shown significance above and beyond pre-migration PTEs, even more prominently so in children and youth [ 7 , 8 ]. Suggesting that previous research overlooked the importance of post-migration stressors, Miller and Rasmussen [ 10 ] proposed a model including both previous war exposure and current resettlement stressors to explain mental distress in refugees.…”

The Psychological Symptoms of College Student in China during the Lockdown of COVID-19 Epidemic

“…Shorter studying hours, a reduced workload, keeping enough sleep time and regular eating of healthy food were should be considered to improve the resilient mentality [36].…”