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Worries during the COVID-19 pandemic – which were the most prevalent and disturbing?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

A. Manão*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine of University of Coimbra, Institute Of Psychological Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal
A.T. Pereira
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine of University of Coimbra, Institute Of Psychological Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Department Of Psychiatry, Coimbra, Portugal
C. Cabacos
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine of University of Coimbra, Institute Of Psychological Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal University Beira Interior, Faculty Of Health Sciences, Covilhã, Portugal
A.P. Amaral
Affiliation:
Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, Icnas, Coimbra, Portugal
M.J. Soares
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine of University of Coimbra, Institute Of Psychological Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal
A. Macedo
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine of University of Coimbra, Institute Of Psychological Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Department Of Psychiatry, Coimbra, Portugal University of Beira Interior, Faculty Of Health Sciences, Covilhã, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional worries and challenges to people’s lives, with potential implications for psychological well-being.

Objectives

To understand which worries and life changes have affected most the Portuguese general population during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyse which contents are associated with higher levels of repetitive negative thinking/RNT and psychological distress/PD.

Methods

In September-December 2020, 413 Portuguese adults (69.2% female; Mean age= 31.02±14.272) were asked one open questions, with reference to the COVID-19 pandemic period: “what was your biggest worry?”; the answers were independently categorized by two researchers. Participants also filled the validated Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale and the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire.

Results

The most prevalent worries were about: 1) fear of contamination (oneself and others-48.7%; 2) physical and mental health and well-being (self and others)-27.2%; 3) studies and profession-13.3%; 4) uncertainty about the future-7.7%; 5) economic-financial issues-6.5%; 6) miscellaneous-3.3%; 7) no worries-0.7%. Participants who had worries of the theme 4 had the highest RNT and PD mean scores, followed by themes 3 and 5, and then themes 2 and 1. These thematic groups significantly (p<.01) differ between each other (except 3-5) and from the other groups. RNT was a significant predictor of PD (R2=37.0%, β=.609, p<.001).

Conclusions

People who worry about the future uncertainties, occupational activities and finances should be systematically assessed with regard to their levels of anxiety, depression and stress and they can learn to deal with the RNT as a way to reduce their psychological suffering in times of pandemic.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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