Psychological Outcomes Associated with Stay-at-Home Orders and the Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on Daily Life

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the widespread implementation of extraordinary physical distancing interventions (e.g., stay-at-home orders) to slow the spread of the virus. Although vital, these interventions may be socially and economically disruptive, contributing to adverse psychological outcomes. This study examined relations of both stay-at-home orders and the perceived impact of COVID-19 on daily life to psychological outcomes (depression, health anxiety, financial worry, social support, and loneliness) in a nationwide U.S. community adult sample (N = 500; 47% women, mean age = 40). Participants completed questionnaires assessing psychological outcomes, stay-at-home order status, and COVID-19's impact on their daily life. Being under a stay-at-home order was associated with greater health anxiety, financial worry, and loneliness. Moreover, the perceived impact of COVID-19 on daily life was positively associated with health anxiety, financial worry, and social support, but negatively associated with loneliness. Findings highlight the importance of social connection to mitigate negative psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects of Fear of COVID-19 on Mental Well-Being and Quality of Life: A path analysis

“…Besides signi cantly straining the global healthcare and economic systems, COVID-19 imposes an unprecedented level of physical isolation (determined by public health measures) that challenges our most basic human motivations (especially our need for human connection), affecting every aspect of society (Hagerty & Williams, 2020). The experience of a severe viral pandemic (and its social and economic fallout) creates a sense of uncertainty triggering psychological distress, such as sadness, boredom, worry, fear, anger, annoyance, confusion, frustration, grief, guilt, helplessness, loneliness, and nervousness (Bao et al, 2020;Dsouza et al, 2020;Gunawan et al, 2020;Mamun & Gri ths, 2020;Mukhtar, 2020;Tull et al, 2020;Xiang et al, 2020).…”

“…sanitation, vaccination and health care management) and demanding global solutions (Bonneux & Van Damme, 2006;Van Damme & Van Lerberghe, 2000). As COVID-19 and related social distancing measures persist (even if to a lesser degree), determining the level of associated fear, worry, helplessness and other mental health issues may support the development of interventions focused on promoting mental health and well-being (Mamun & Gri ths, 2020;Tull et al, 2020). Increase in social support seeking or connectedness as individuals give hope to potential positive outcomes of this pandemic could help us adjust to changes in daily life (Tull et al, 2020), although in the case of our ndings other systems could also signi cantly ameliorate the impact.…”

“…The global community continues to face high transmission rates of this unpredictable, fast spreading infectious disease that presents serious challenges to global health (Mamun & Gri ths, 2020). Not only does the virus incur a high mortality rate, but uncertainty is heightened as the global community lacks effective antiviral therapy or vaccines and knowledge of the accurate number of people infected (due to lack of widespread testing and tracking) (Shereen et al, 2020;Tull et al, 2020).…”

“…Aiming to slow the spread of the virus, overload of healthcare systems and infection-related mortality, governments around the globe have implemented public health measures (such as isolation, quarantine, physical and social distancing) as fundamental infection control measures (Dsouza et al, 2020;Lai et al, 2020;Tull et al, 2020). These unpleasant changes bring the perception of constrained freedom (sense of loss of control and being trapped, especially in those separated from family), increasing psychological distress and community anxiety (Brooks et al, 2020;).…”

Comorbidity Network Analysis of Depression, Anxiety and Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The main life stressors, especially those that involve interpersonal stress and social exclusion, are the strongest risk factors for depression [14]. The social isolation measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic were undoubtedly effective to stop the spread of the virus, but they also led to greater health anxiety, nancial worries, loneliness, and stress [15,16]. According to the hypothesis of social signal transduction theory, social threats and adversity experiences increase the immune system components associated with in ammation, such as proin ammatory cytokines, which in turn can cause a series of behavioral changes, including depression, anxiety and physical diseases.…”