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One Virus, Four Continents, Eight Countries: An Interdisciplinary and International Study on the Psychosocial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adults

Author

Listed:
  • Mélissa Généreux

    (Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada)

  • Philip J. Schluter

    (School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury-Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand)

  • Kevin KC Hung

    (Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street 30-32, Hong Kong SAR, China)

  • Chi Shing Wong

    (Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street 30-32, Hong Kong SAR, China)

  • Catherine Pui Yin Mok

    (Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street 30-32, Hong Kong SAR, China)

  • Tracey O’Sullivan

    (Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 7K4, Canada)

  • Marc D. David

    (Département de communication, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada)

  • Marie-Eve Carignan

    (Département de communication, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada)

  • Gabriel Blouin-Genest

    (School of Applied Politics, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada)

  • Olivier Champagne-Poirier

    (Département de communication, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada)

  • Éric Champagne

    (School of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada)

  • Nathalie Burlone

    (School of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada)

  • Zeeshan Qadar

    (National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5, Canada)

  • Teodoro Herbosa

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Philippines, Manille Grand Manille 1000, Philippines)

  • Gleisse Ribeiro-Alves

    (Centro Universitário de Brasília, Brasília 70850-090, Brazil)

  • Ronald Law

    (Department of Health, Manila, Manille 2932, Philippines)

  • Virginia Murray

    (Public Health England, London SE1 8UG, UK)

  • Emily Ying Yang Chan

    (Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street 30-32, Hong Kong SAR, China)

  • Nathalie Pignard-Cheynel

    (Académie du journalisme et des médias, Université de Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland)

  • Sébastien Salerno

    (Université de Genève, Boulevard du Pont-d’Arve 40, 1205 Genève, Switzerland)

  • Grégoire Lits

    (Institut Langage et Communication, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • Leen d’Haenens

    (Institute for Media Studies, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

  • David De Coninck

    (Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Koenraad Matthys

    (Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Mathieu Roy

    (Department of Family Medicine & Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada)

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought about several features that increased the sense of fear and confusion, such as quarantine and financial losses among other stressors, which may have led to adverse psychosocial outcomes. The influence of such stressors took place within a broader sociocultural context that needs to be considered. The objective was to examine how the psychological response to the pandemic varied across countries and identify which risk/protective factors contributed to this response. An online survey was conducted from 29 May 2020–12 June 2020, among a multinational sample of 8806 adults from eight countries/regions (Canada, United States, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Hong Kong, Philippines, New Zealand). Probable generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depression episode (MDE) were assessed. The independent role of a wide range of potential factors was examined using multilevel logistic regression. Probable GAD and MDE were indicated by 21.0% and 25.5% of the respondents, respectively, with an important variation according to countries/regions (GAD: 12.2–31.0%; MDE: 16.7–32.9%). When considered together, 30.2% of the participants indicated probable GAD or MDE. Several factors were positively associated with a probable GAD or MDE, including (in descending order of importance) weak sense of coherence (SOC), lower age, false beliefs, isolation, threat perceived for oneself/family, mistrust in authorities, stigma, threat perceived for country/world, financial losses, being a female, and having a high level of information about COVID-19. Having a weak SOC yielded the highest adjusted odds ratio for probable GAD or MDE (3.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.73–3.77). This pandemic is having an impact on psychological health. In some places and under certain circumstances, however, people seem to be better protected psychologically. This is a unique opportunity to evaluate the psychosocial impacts across various sociocultural backgrounds, providing important lessons that could inform all phases of disaster risk management.

Suggested Citation

  • Mélissa Généreux & Philip J. Schluter & Kevin KC Hung & Chi Shing Wong & Catherine Pui Yin Mok & Tracey O’Sullivan & Marc D. David & Marie-Eve Carignan & Gabriel Blouin-Genest & Olivier Champagne-Poir, 2020. "One Virus, Four Continents, Eight Countries: An Interdisciplinary and International Study on the Psychosocial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-16, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:22:p:8390-:d:444229
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cuiyan Wang & Riyu Pan & Xiaoyang Wan & Yilin Tan & Linkang Xu & Cyrus S. Ho & Roger C. Ho, 2020. "Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-25, March.
    2. Julio Torales & Marcelo O’Higgins & João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia & Antonio Ventriglio, 2020. "The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(4), pages 317-320, June.
    3. Cristina Mazza & Eleonora Ricci & Silvia Biondi & Marco Colasanti & Stefano Ferracuti & Christian Napoli & Paolo Roma, 2020. "A Nationwide Survey of Psychological Distress among Italian People during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-14, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuen Yu Chong & Wai Tong Chien & Ho Yu Cheng & Demetris Lamnisos & Jeļena Ļubenko & Giovambattista Presti & Valeria Squatrito & Marios Constantinou & Christiana Nicolaou & Savvas Papacostas & Gökçen A, 2021. "Patterns of Psychological Responses among the Public during the Early Phase of COVID-19: A Cross-Regional Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Mélissa Généreux & Philip J. Schluter & Elsa Landaverde & Kevin KC Hung & Chi Shing Wong & Catherine Pui Yin Mok & Gabriel Blouin-Genest & Tracey O’Sullivan & Marc D. David & Marie-Eve Carignan & Oliv, 2021. "The Evolution in Anxiety and Depression with the Progression of the Pandemic in Adult Populations from Eight Countries and Four Continents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-22, May.
    3. Lennart Reifels & Michel L. A. Dückers, 2023. "Disaster Mental Health Risk Reduction: Appraising Disaster Mental Health Research as If Risk Mattered," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Iris Schelhorn & Swantje Schlüter & Kerstin Paintner & Youssef Shiban & Ricardo Lugo & Marie Meyer & Stefan Sütterlin, 2022. "Emotions and emotion up-regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(1), pages 1-19, January.
    5. Rafael Youngmann & Nonna Kushnirovich, 2021. "Resource Threat versus Resource Loss and Emotional Well-Being of Ethnic Minorities during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-13, November.

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