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Severely increased generalized anxiety, but not COVID-19-related fear in individuals with mental illnesses: A population based cross-sectional study in Germany

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Listed:
  • Eva-Maria Skoda
  • Alexander Bäuerle
  • Adam Schweda
  • Nora Dörrie
  • Venja Musche
  • Madeleine Hetkamp
  • Hannah Kohler
  • Martin Teufel
  • Benjamin Weismüller

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected individuals, governments, and health care centers all around the globe. Social isolation obligation, restricted working shifts, and curfews posed unprecedented challenges for the population. Social isolation, boredom, and financial problems have been shown to stress peoples’ mental health in previous comparable pandemics and even in regular situations. Individuals with a mental illness may particularly be at risk due to an already instable mental health status. While research mainly focused on the pandemic’s impact on somatic health care and risk group patients, psychological obstacles caused by legal restrictions and their impact on already mentally affected individuals have been discussed, but so far only scarcely been investigated in a large sample. For this study, 12,028 people completed an online-survey during that time in Germany, when the COVID-19 outbreak gained momentum with a surge in cases and death rates as well as a lockdown of the public life. Generalized anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-2), distress (distress thermometer) and COVID-19-specific items, especially COVID-19-related fear, were assessed in healthy individuals, patients suffering from mental illnesses, and in patients with chronic somatic diseases, known to be at risk for an unfavorable course of COVID-19. Results show that the COVID-19-pandemic significantly worsens psychometric scores throughout the population – individuals with already heightened levels, like people with mental illnesses now reach concerning levels. Surprisingly, even though generalized anxiety, depressive symptoms, and perceived distress are elevated in individuals with mental illness, these individuals seem to be less affected by explicit COVID-19-related fear, than the general population or individuals with chronic somatic diseases. This study thus objectively quantifies the psychological impact of COVID-19 in a large sample and provides evidence for not only the public, but also critically affected individuals with a mental illness.

Suggested Citation

  • Eva-Maria Skoda & Alexander Bäuerle & Adam Schweda & Nora Dörrie & Venja Musche & Madeleine Hetkamp & Hannah Kohler & Martin Teufel & Benjamin Weismüller, 2021. "Severely increased generalized anxiety, but not COVID-19-related fear in individuals with mental illnesses: A population based cross-sectional study in Germany," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(5), pages 550-558, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:67:y:2021:i:5:p:550-558
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764020960773
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ronald L. Wasserstein & Allen L. Schirm & Nicole A. Lazar, 2019. "Moving to a World Beyond “p," The American Statistician, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 73(S1), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Selçuk Özdin & Şükriye Bayrak Özdin, 2020. "Levels and predictors of anxiety, depression and health anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish society: The importance of gender," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(5), pages 504-511, August.
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    1. Ok-Hee Cho & Yun-Hee Cho & Mi-Young Chung, 2021. "Burden, Depression, and Awareness of Information on Safety Behavior in Korean Hemodialysis Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-10, September.
    2. Nicola Di Fazio & Donato Morena & Giuseppe Delogu & Gianpietro Volonnino & Federico Manetti & Martina Padovano & Matteo Scopetti & Paola Frati & Vittorio Fineschi, 2022. "Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic Period in the European Population: An Institutional Challenge," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, July.

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