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Patterns of Psychological Responses among the Public during the Early Phase of COVID-19: A Cross-Regional Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Yuen Yu Chong

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Wai Tong Chien

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Ho Yu Cheng

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Demetris Lamnisos

    (Department of Health Sciences, European University Cyprus, 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus)

  • Jeļena Ļubenko

    (Psychological Laboratory, Faculty of Public Health and Social Welfare, Riga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia)

  • Giovambattista Presti

    (Kore University Behavioral Lab (KUBeLab), Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy)

  • Valeria Squatrito

    (Kore University Behavioral Lab (KUBeLab), Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy)

  • Marios Constantinou

    (Department of Social Sciences, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus)

  • Christiana Nicolaou

    (Department of Nursing, Cyprus University of Technology, 3036 Limassol, Cyprus)

  • Savvas Papacostas

    (Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus)

  • Gökçen Aydin

    (Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance, Faculty of Education, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep 27010, Turkey)

  • Francisco J. Ruiz

    (Department of Psychology, Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz, Bogotà 110231, Colombia)

  • Maria B. Garcia-Martin

    (Faculty of Psychology, University of La Sabana, Chía 53753, Colombia)

  • Diana P. Obando-Posada

    (Faculty of Psychology, University of La Sabana, Chía 53753, Colombia)

  • Miguel A. Segura-Vargas

    (Department of Psychology, Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz, Bogotà 110231, Colombia)

  • Vasilis S. Vasiliou

    (School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, T12 YN60 Cork, Ireland)

  • Louise McHugh

    (School of Psychology, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Stefan Höfer

    (Department of Medical Psychology, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Adriana Baban

    (Department of Psychology, Babeş-Bolyai University (UBB), 400095 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

  • David Dias Neto

    (ISPA—Instituto Universitário, APPsyCI—Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities & Inclusion, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Ana Nunes da Silva

    (Faculdade de Psicologia, Alameda da Universidade, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-013 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Jean-Louis Monestès

    (LIP/PC2S Lab, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38040 Grenoble, France)

  • Javier Alvarez-Galvez

    (Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health, University of Cadiz, 11003 Cadiz, Spain)

  • Marisa Paez Blarrina

    (Instituto ACT, 28036 Madrid, Spain)

  • Francisco Montesinos

    (Department of Psychology, European University of Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain)

  • Sonsoles Valdivia Salas

    (Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Dorottya Őri

    (Heim Pal National Pediatric Institute, Department of Mental Health, 1089 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Bartosz Kleszcz

    (Bartosz Kleszcz Psychotherapy and Training, ul. Aleja Zwycięstwa 31/8, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland)

  • Raimo Lappalainen

    (Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland)

  • Iva Ivanović

    (Clinic for Psychiatry, Clinical Center of Montenegro, 81110 Podgorica, Montenegro)

  • David Gosar

    (Department of Child, Adolescent and Developmental Neurology, University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia)

  • Frederick Dionne

    (Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada)

  • Rhonda M. Merwin

    (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA)

  • Andrew T. Gloster

    (Division of Clinical Psychology and Intervention Science, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Maria Karekla

    (Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus)

  • Angelos P. Kassianos

    (Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
    Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK)

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the mediation of psychological flexibility, prosociality and coping in the impacts of illness perceptions toward COVID-19 on mental health among seven regions. Convenience sampled online survey was conducted between April and June 2020 from 9130 citizens in 21 countries. Illness perceptions toward COVID-19, psychological flexibility, prosociality, coping and mental health, socio-demographics, lockdown-related variables and COVID-19 status were assessed. Results showed that psychological flexibility was the only significant mediator in the relationship between illness perceptions toward COVID-19 and mental health across all regions (all p s = 0.001–0.021). Seeking social support was the significant mediator across subgroups (all p s range = <0.001–0.005) except from the Hong Kong sample ( p = 0.06) and the North and South American sample ( p = 0.53). No mediation was found for problem-solving (except from the Northern European sample, p = 0.009). Prosociality was the significant mediator in the Hong Kong sample ( p = 0.016) and the Eastern European sample ( p = 0.008). These findings indicate that fostering psychological flexibility may help to mitigate the adverse mental impacts of COVID-19 across regions. Roles of seeking social support, problem-solving and prosociality vary across regions.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:8:p:4143-:d:536041
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Benita Wielgus & Witold Urban & Aleksandra Patriak & Łukasz Cichocki, 2020. "Examining the Associations between Psychological Flexibility, Mindfulness, Psychosomatic Functioning, and Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Path Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-13, November.
    2. Yuen Yu Chong & Wai Tong Chien & Ho Yu Cheng & Ka Ming Chow & Angelos P. Kassianos & Maria Karekla & Andrew Gloster, 2020. "The Role of Illness Perceptions, Coping, and Self-Efficacy on Adherence to Precautionary Measures for COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-11, September.
    3. 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.
    4. Qian Hui Chew & Faith Li-Ann Chia & Wee Khoon Ng & Wan Cheong Ivan Lee & Pei Lin Lynnette Tan & Chen Seong Wong & Ser Hon Puah & Vishalkumar G. Shelat & Ee-Jin Darren Seah & Cheong Wei Terence Huey & , 2020. "Perceived Stress, Stigma, Traumatic Stress Levels and Coping Responses amongst Residents in Training across Multiple Specialties during COVID-19 Pandemic—A Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-13, September.
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    6. Adrian Bartoszek & Dariusz Walkowiak & Agnieszka Bartoszek & Grzegorz Kardas, 2020. "Mental Well-Being (Depression, Loneliness, Insomnia, Daily Life Fatigue) during COVID-19 Related Home-Confinement—A Study from Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-12, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Luca Simione & Camilla Gnagnarella & Giulia Spina & Giuseppe Bersani, 2021. "Help-Seeking as a Maladaptive Coping Style in the Pandemic Scenario: What Worked and What Did Not for Facing This New Stressor," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-17, December.

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