The fear of COVID-19 and its role in preventive behaviours

Abstract

The economic and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been far-reaching and unprecedented around the world. These circumstances appear to have had profound psychological effects on all individuals worldwide. One psychological aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic is fear. This brief paper argues that assessing fear is important and is the key reason we co-developed the 'Fear of COVID-19 Scale' (FCV-19S). It is argued that without knowing the level of fear about COVID-19 among different groups by specific socio-demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, education, ethnicity, religiosity, etc.) and/or different psychological factors (e.g., personality type) it is difficult to know whether education and prevention programs are needed, and if they are needed which groups to target and where. The collation and application of such data could be used to devise targeted education and/or prevention programs to help overcome fear of COVID-19 and help such individuals to engage in preventative behaviors.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Overall Mental Health of Healthcare Professionals Globally: A Meta-Review of Systematic Reviews

“…Fear of covid-19 was reported to spread faster than the virus ( 13 ) and is strongly associated with the uncertainties about the outbreak, of which many countries, including high-income countries, are struggling to contain the outbreak ( 12 , 13 ). On this note, Pakpoup and Griffiths ( 74 ) opined the need for understanding the different factors underpinning the fear associated with the virus to determine the needed education and prevention programs, and which groups of people to target. These programs could be instrumental towards overcoming the fear of COVID-19 and affected individuals to engage in preventative behaviours ( 74 ).…”

“…On this note, Pakpoup and Griffiths ( 74 ) opined the need for understanding the different factors underpinning the fear associated with the virus to determine the needed education and prevention programs, and which groups of people to target. These programs could be instrumental towards overcoming the fear of COVID-19 and affected individuals to engage in preventative behaviours ( 74 ). Burnout on the other hand, may be associated with increased rates of hospitalisation coupled with longer working hours, particularly among frontline professionals.…”

Consumer Motivations for Adopting Omnichannel Retailing: A Safety-Driven Perspective in the Context of COVID-19

“…Since fear and anxiety are two different emotions and have distinct central thematic associations, we believe that the role of anxiety as an antecedent also requires examination ( 77 ). Moreover, since extensive research has suggested a tight linkage among COVID-19, fear, anxiety, and behaviors ( 37 , 78 , 79 ), we argue that E-EPPM is more suitable for this context defined by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's dependent variable is consumers' behavioral intentions, and, in the context of this research, it is defined as the aim and plan of repeatedly using omnichannel retail services for their shopping activities ( 10 , 11 ).…”

Development of the “COVID-19 psychological impact Scale”: A validity and reliability study

“…The ability to overcome this crisis in a healthy way depends largely on conducting research on the psychological impact of the pandemic (Arden & Chilcot, 2020 ). Therefore, it is important to investigate the psychological impact of COVID-19, to identify individuals who are psychologically affected by COVID-19, and to develop prevention programs (Pakpour & Griffiths, 2020 ). However, it cannot be said that there has been enough focus on the psychological impact of the disease on mental health as much as physical health (Satici et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The anxiety of contracting the disease creates uneasiness and fear of contracting the virus as the number of cases increases in the individual’s environment. This fear may lead the inability to fulfil daily functions and routines to be disrupted and cause to have a completely dysfunctional and helpless attitude (Ahorsu et al, 2020 ; Pakpour & Griffiths, 2020 ).…”