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Protective and Risk Factors for Mental Distress and Its Impact on Health-Protective Behaviors during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic between March 2020 and March 2021 in Germany

Author

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  • Donya Gilan

    (Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55131 Mainz, Germany
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Markus Müssig

    (Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55131 Mainz, Germany
    Department of Personality Psychology and Psychological Assessment, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55122 Mainz, Germany)

  • Omar Hahad

    (Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55131 Mainz, Germany
    Department of Cardiology, Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Angela M. Kunzler

    (Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55131 Mainz, Germany
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Simon Samstag

    (Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Nikolaus Röthke

    (Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Johannes Thrul

    (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA)

  • Frauke Kreuter

    (Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA)

  • Michael Bosnjak

    (Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID), 54296 Trier, Germany)

  • Philipp Sprengholz

    (Center for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioural Sciences, University of Erfurt, 99089 Erfurt, Germany)

  • Cornelia Betsch

    (Center for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioural Sciences, University of Erfurt, 99089 Erfurt, Germany)

  • Daniel Wollschläger

    (Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Oliver Tüscher

    (Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55131 Mainz, Germany
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Klaus Lieb

    (Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55131 Mainz, Germany
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany)

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is posing a global public health burden. These consequences have been shown to increase the risk of mental distress, but the underlying protective and risk factors for mental distress and trends over different waves of the pandemic are largely unknown. Furthermore, it is largely unknown how mental distress is associated with individual protective behavior. Three quota samples, weighted to represent the population forming the German COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring study (24 March and 26 May 2020, and 9 March 2021 with >900 subjects each), were used to describe the course of mental distress and resilience, to identify risk and protective factors during the pandemic, and to investigate their associations with individual protective behaviors. Mental distress increased slightly during the pandemic. Usage of cognitive reappraisal strategies, maintenance of a daily structure, and usage of alternative social interactions decreased. Self-reported resilience, cognitive reappraisal strategies, and maintaining a daily structure were the most important protective factors in all three samples. Adherence to individual protective behaviors (e.g., physical distancing) was negatively associated with mental distress and positively associated with frequency of information intake, maintenance of a daily structure, and cognitive reappraisal. Maintaining a daily structure, training of cognitive reappraisal strategies, and information provision may be targets to prevent mental distress while assuring a high degree of individual protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Effects of the respective interventions have to be confirmed in further studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Donya Gilan & Markus Müssig & Omar Hahad & Angela M. Kunzler & Simon Samstag & Nikolaus Röthke & Johannes Thrul & Frauke Kreuter & Michael Bosnjak & Philipp Sprengholz & Cornelia Betsch & Daniel Wolls, 2021. "Protective and Risk Factors for Mental Distress and Its Impact on Health-Protective Behaviors during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic between March 2020 and March 2021 in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9167-:d:625977
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrea Chmitorz & Mario Wenzel & Rolf-Dieter Stieglitz & Angela Kunzler & Christiana Bagusat & Isabella Helmreich & Anna Gerlicher & Miriam Kampa & Thomas Kubiak & Raffael Kalisch & Klaus Lieb & Olive, 2018. "Population-based validation of a German version of the Brief Resilience Scale," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-14, February.
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    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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