Dataset Information

The impact of non-infection pandemic stress on depression and anxiety severity: Investigating mediation by intrusive and deliberate rumination.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Social restrictions to curb COVID-19's spread have had adverse effects on population mental health. Rumination is one mechanism through which pandemic stress (PS) might translate into psychopathology. In particular, intrusive rumination (IR) is believed to be problematic. In this study, we investigated whether IR and deliberate rumination (DR) mediated the associations between PS and both depression and anxiety severity.

Methods

1090 participants recruited online and from an undergraduate psychology participation pool completed an assessment of COVID-19 PS, as well as the Event-Related Rumination Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Total scores for PS, IR, DR, depression, and anxiety severity were tested in a parallel mediation model.

Results

PS positively predicted IR, DR, depression, and anxiety severity. IR positively predicted 1depression and anxiety severity, whereas DR did not. Indirect effects of PS on depression and anxiety severity were significant for IR, but not DR. Direct effects of PS on anxiety and depression severity were significant. Taken together, IR partially mediated the association between PS and both measures of psychopathology, and DR did not.

Limitations

This study was limited by its cross-sectional design and the lack of assessment of when PS exposure occurred.

Conclusions

Regarding PS that is unrelated to infection by COVID-19, IR is one mechanism through which psychopathology may emerge, whereas DR appears to be benign. Promoting a shift from IR to DR may therefore be one strategy for mitigating the negative effects of PS and other stressors on mental health.

SUBMITTER: Squires SD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9088212 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

The impact of non-infection pandemic stress on depression and anxiety severity: Investigating mediation by intrusive and deliberate rumination.

Squires Scott D SD Hu Mianzhi M Milev Roumen V RV Poppenk Jordan J

Journal of affective disorders 20220510

<h4>Background</h4>Social restrictions to curb COVID-19's spread have had adverse effects on population mental health. Rumination is one mechanism through which pandemic stress (PS) might translate into psychopathology. In particular, intrusive rumination (IR) is believed to be problematic. In this study, we investigated whether IR and deliberate rumination (DR) mediated the associations between PS and both depression and anxiety severity.<h4>Methods</h4>1090 participants recruited online and fr ...[more]

PMID: 35561882

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused great panic among the public, with many people suffering from adverse stress reactions. To control the spread of the pandemic, governments in many countries have imposed lockdown policies. In this unique pandemic context, people can obtain information about pandemic dynamics on the internet. However, searching for health-related information on the internet frequently increases the possibility of individuals being troubled by the information that they find, and consequently, experiencing symptoms of cyberchondria.ObjectiveWe aimed to examine the relationships between people's perceived severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and their depression, anxiety, and stress to explore the role of cyberchondria, which, in these relationship mechanisms, is closely related to using the internet. In addition, we also examined the moderating role of lockdown experiences.MethodsIn February 2020, a total of 486 participants were recruited through a web-based platform from areas in China with a large number of infections. We used questionnaires to measure participants' perceived severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, to measure the severity of their cyberchondria, depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and to assess their lockdown experiences. Confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, common method bias, descriptive statistical analysis, and correlation analysis were performed, and moderated mediation models were examined.ResultsThere was a positive association between perceived severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and depression (β=0.36, t=8.51, P<.001), anxiety (β=0.41, t=9.84, P<.001), and stress (β=0.46, t=11.45, P<.001), which were mediated by cyberchondria (β=0.36, t=8.59, P<.001). The direct effects of perceived severity of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety (β=0.07, t=2.01, P=.045) and stress (β=0.09, t=2.75, P=.006) and the indirect effects of cyberchondria on depression (β=0.10, t=2.59, P=.009) and anxiety (β=0.10, t=2.50, P=.01) were moderated by lockdown experience.ConclusionsThe higher the perceived severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, the more serious individuals' symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. In addition, the associations were partially mediated by cyberchondria. Individuals with higher perceived severity of the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to develop cyberchondria, which aggravated individuals' depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Negative lockdown experiences exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on mental health.

Dataset Information

The impact of non-infection pandemic stress on depression and anxiety severity: Investigating mediation by intrusive and deliberate rumination.

Background

Methods

Results

Limitations

Conclusions

Publications

The impact of non-infection pandemic stress on depression and anxiety severity: Investigating mediation by intrusive and deliberate rumination.

Similar Datasets

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