Assessing Psychological Response to the COVID-19: The Fear of COVID-19 Scale and the COVID Stress Scales

Mapping the Relationship between Health-related Beliefs, Fear, Avoidance, and Depression: Lessons from the Pandemic and Beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a mental health crisis, with depression symptoms increasing nearly three-fold compared to pre-pandemic levels. To explain this surge and to outline related novel treatment targets for post-pandemic psychiatric interventions, the current study examined cognitive, emotional, and behavioral predictors of depression (in the context of the recent pandemic). Participants completed measures assessing perceived danger, perceived infectiousness, and fear of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Participants also reported symptoms of depression and behavioral tendencies: pandemic-related compulsive checking, cleaning, and avoidance (of activities, situations, places, and people). A multiple mediation model revealed that the relationship between perceived infectiousness of the virus and depression was atemporally mediated by fear of the virus and pandemic-related avoidance of activities, situations, places, and people. Furthermore, avoidance played a uniquely important role in the mediation model. First, it directly mediated the relationship between perceived infectiousness and depression, even when omitting fear from the model. Second, avoidance was a discriminant predictor of depression, as neither pandemic-related checking and reassurance-seeking nor cleaning behavior mediated the relationship between cognition and depressive symptoms. Clinical implications are discussed, including how addressing the relationship between anxiety about viral infections and depression can prospectively increase treatment success as we move beyond the pandemic.

The effect of dispositional resilience on the relationship between professional quality of life and psychological distress factors of nurses during the pandemic: A three-wave longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 overwhelmed all healthcare workers, especially nurses, who worked tirelessly in patient care in extremely stressful situations. Italy, with its hospital overcrowding and staff shortages, exacerbated these negative consequences.

DESIGN

A three-wave prospective longitudinal-design was adopted to use validated scales to examine the trend of stress, anxiety, depression and resilience on the professional quality of life of nurses who worked during the pandemic. During an 8-month period, a sample of 411 individuals was recruited and surveyed three times.

RESULTS

Resilience showed an increasing positive trend from the first to the third wave, increasing its effects on the outcomes and demonstrating its important protective role. The compassion fatigue showed progressively higher scores in the three waves, indicating greater workload perception and greater difficulty in managing the patients' perceived stress. Burnout increased in the first compared to second waves but decreased significantly in the third wave, due to the effect of resilience on burnout that was significantly stronger in the third wave.

CONCLUSION

Our findings align with the literature about the role of resilience and emphasize the importance of investing in strategies aimed at developing resilience in healthcare workers and providing prevention and assistance to them in terms of job demands and unsustainable stressors.

The fear of COVID-19 contagion: an exploratory EEG-fMRI study

Pandemics have the potential to change how people behave and feel. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception; thus, it may serve as a "challenging context" for understanding how pandemics affect people's minds. In this study, we used high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the neural correlates of fear of contagion during the most critical moments of COVID-19 in Italy (i.e., October 2020-May 2021). To do that, we stimulated participants (N = 17; nine females) with artificial-intelligence-generated faces of people presented as healthy, recovered from COVID-19, or infected by SARS-CoV-2. The fMRI results documented a modulation of large bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal functional brain networks. Critically, we found selective recruitment of cortical (e.g., frontal lobes) and subcortical fear-related structures (e.g., amygdala and putamen) of the so-called social brain network when participants observed COVID-19-related faces. Consistently, EEG results showed distinct patterns of brain activity selectively associated with infected and recovered faces (e.g., delta and gamma rhythm). Together, these results highlight how pandemic contexts may reverberate in the human brain, thus influencing most basic social and cognitive functioning. This may explain the emergence of a cluster of psychopathologies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study underscores the need for prompt interventions to address pandemics' short- and long-term consequences on mental health.

Increasing exercise participation during the COVID-19 pandemic: the buffering role of nostalgia

Introduction

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, people faced difficulties engaging in exercise activities as usual. As a result, there has been an increase in the demand for home exercises and online sales. However, there is little research on individuals' buying and exercise behaviors during the pandemic. Thus, this study investigated how the perceived threat of COVID-19 influences exercise participants' compensatory consumption and exercise intention through emotional responses, such as feelings of solastalgia and nostalgia.

Methods

A total of 488 responses were collected from Generation Y, as individuals belonging to Generation Y are more prone to impulsive buying compared to other generations and, importantly, consider exercise a crucial component of their general well-being. Data were examined using a three-step method that involved the use of SPSS 26.0 and EQS 6.4 software.

Results

Results showed that perception of COVID-19 positively influenced solastalgia and negatively affected nostalgia. Also, solastalgia had positive effects on nostalgia and online browsing, and nostalgia positively affected online browsing. Finally, this study found that online browsing positively influenced impulse buying and exercise intention, while impulse buying did not significantly affect exercise intention.

Conclusion

This study contributes to identifying the crucial influence of emotions in decision-making and increasing the understanding of the connection between nostalgia and cognitive and emotional responses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Development of Social Distancing Phobia Scale and Its Association with Anxiety and Perceived Stress

The aim of the present study is to develop the social distancing phobia scale and is to determine the role of generalized anxiety disorder of the individual in predicting social distancing phobia and perceived stress. The sample of the study consists of 1260 people selected according to the convenience sampling method. Social distancing phobia scale, generalized anxiety disorder, perceived stress scale, and positive negative emotion scale were used in the study. As a result of the analysis, this scale consists of 17 items with three factors including "physiological, emotional, and behavioral response." With its psychometric properties in assessing the three-sub-dimensional construct of the social distancing phobia scale, this scale will help to provide a better understanding of the emotions and psychological or psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, generalized anxiety disorder was found to significantly predict perceived stress and social distancing phobia.

Rasch Modeling and Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis for the Usability of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) during the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

Several instruments are currently used to assess Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) -induced psychological distress, including the 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). The IES-R is a self-administered scale used to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study aimed to examine the construct validity of the IES-R, based on the Rasch model, with COVID-19-related data, as well as to test the multilevel construct validity of the IES-R within and among countries during the pandemic crisis.

METHODS

A multi-country web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted utilizing the 22-item IES-R. A total of 1020 participants enrolled in our survey, of whom 999 were included in the analyses. Data were analyzed using Rasch modeling and multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA).

RESULTS

The Rasch modeling results of the IES-R demonstrated that the IES-R is a satisfactory instrument with the five-point Likert scale, asserting that its 22 items are significant contributors to assessing PTSD as a unidimensional construct covered by the items of the IES-R. The MCFA confirmed that the 22-item IES-R, with its three factors, including intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal, demonstrates adequate construct validity at the within- and among-country levels. However, the results of the Akaike information criterion (AIC) model determined that the 16-item IES-R is better than the 22-item IES-R.

CONCLUSION

The results suggested that the 22-item IES-R is a reliable screening instrument for measuring PTSD related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and can be utilized to provide timely psychological health support, when needed, based on the screening results.

The Moderating Role of COVID-19 Perceived Risk between Health Concern and Psychological Well-Being of Active Senior Campers Using PROCESS Macro Model

This study attempts to contribute to improving the life of the elderly by empirically analyzing the factors affecting the psychological well-being of active seniors in the 'With COVID-19' era. To this end, the relationship between psychological well-being, health concern, and perceived risk of COVID-19 was verified for active seniors in Korea who enjoy camping. Two hundred and sixty-four valid questionnaires collected from active senior participants of "The Korea Camping Fair 2022" held in EXCO, Daegu, Korea, from 29 April to 1 May 2022, were analyzed. The main results were as follows. The health and psychological well-being of active seniors were higher than the normal level, and the perceived risk of COVID-19 was lower than the normal level. It was found that the health of active seniors had a positive effect on their psychological well-being. The perceived risk of COVID-19 was found to moderate the effect of health concern on psychological well-being. In conclusion, in order to improve the psychological well-being of active seniors, active leisure activities of the elderly are essential even in the COVID-19 situation, and various measures are needed to increase health. Not only this, but also, importantly, accurate information sharing on COVID-19 should be premised.

Fear of COVID-19 Impact on Professional Quality of Life among Mental Health Workers

Several studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers' mental health, but only a few have investigated its detrimental effect on the mental well-being of mental health workers (MHWs).

BACKGROUND

The current study aimed to explore the effect of the fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19) on professional quality of life dimensions, namely compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in MHWs above and beyond sociodemographic and professional factors.

METHODS

Hierarchical linear regression models were employed to examine the relationship of extreme FCV-19 with CS, BO, and STS in MHWs (n = 224), after considering sociodemographic variables as potential confounding factors. Extreme FCV-19 was operationalized as a binary variable with a cut-off score of ≥16.5 considered as extreme fear.

RESULTS

We found that extreme FCV-19 in MHWs is linked with increased compassion fatigue (BO and STS), and this relationship is exacerbated by younger age in regard to BO and by female gender concerning STS. CS remains unaffected by severe FCV-19, and it is higher in older participants.

CONCLUSION

Organizational support is required to protect MHWs' mental well-being and ensure the quality of care they provide during prolonged crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures that intensify a sense of safety, protection, and control against COVID-19 infections in mental health services should be included in the recommendations that may reduce BO and STS among MHWs.

Development and Validation of COVID-19 Stress Scale (CSS) in an Iranian Non-Clinical Population

: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) generated profound concerns in public. However, few validated scales measure COVID-related stress. We developed and psychometrically assessed a unique COVID-19 Stress Scale (CSS) in an Iranian non-clinical population. The CSS was developed to evaluate the existing stress measures, specialists' reviews, and interviews with healthy individuals. Experts provided feedback on content validity. The correlation of CSS with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) was evaluated to assess convergent validity. Moreover, construct validity and reliability were assessed. Seven items were found acceptable after experts' review. The online method was used to collect information due to the dangerous conditions of COVID-19 and traffic restrictions in Iran. The scale link was shared as an invitation on the virtual social network pages for people to respond. The statistical population of this study included all Iranian people aged 18 - 60. All 755 people, including 511 females and 244 males who completed the questionnaire online, were selected as a sample. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed a one-factor structure. Correlations between items were acceptable, with item-total correlations being 0.49 - 0.58. The CFA resulted in acceptable factor loadings and fit statistics. Internal consistency reliability was found as α = 0.74. Regarding convergent validity, CSS had moderate to strong correlations with the depression (r = 0.53), anxiety (r = 0.59), and stress (r = 0.64) subscales of DASS-21 (P < 0.05). The seven-item CSS demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties and can be a useful measure of research and evaluation. There is a need to test the scale's validity in a random sample and other nationalities.

Consumers’ Switching from Cash to Mobile Payment under the Fear of COVID-19 in Taiwan

The COVID-19 pandemic impacts our lives significantly; people have changed their daily lives in response to the unprecedented epidemic which not only awakened the arrival of a new normal in business, but also new lifestyles. For example, the adaptation of contactless mobile payment has grown in the past two years to avoid unnecessary contact and possible infections. In this study, we intend to examine behavioral intentions that made consumers shift from traditional cash payment to mobile payment during the COVID-19 period. Our research framework and hypotheses were developed and examined through the push (dissatisfaction)–pull (alternative attractiveness)–mooring (perceived fear) model. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to validate our model and corresponding hypotheses. The results of this study showed that dissatisfaction with tradition-al payments and customer’s perceived fears positively and significantly affected switching intentions. However, alternative attractiveness had no significant impact on consumers’ switching intentions from cash to mobile payments during the pandemic. Moreover, this study shows how perceived fear has a mediating effect that motivates people to change their payment behaviors. Implications and future research directions about consumers changing in such a dynamic time are also discussed.

Does COVID-19 pandemic trigger career anxiety in tourism students? Exploring the role of psychological resilience

This study aims to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic affects career anxiety of tourism students, who are the potential future employees of tourism and hospitality industry. Data was collected using an online survey with 1097 undergraduate students in the field of tourism in Turkey. The results of the study revealed that perceived risk of infection and fear of COVID-19 significantly impact students' career anxiety, and fear of COVID-19 mediate the relationship between perceived infection risk and career anxiety. In addition, the results indicated that psychological resilience, which is an individual resource against difficulties, represents a factor that reduces career anxieties of students in the face of pandemic-related negative impacts. The findings contribute to the understanding of how pandemic diseases affect career anxiety in students, who are the future workforce of the tourism sector, and to determine the role of individual resources such as psychological resilience in this process.

Fear of COVID-19 Among College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Mental health issue among college students is routinely a major public health concern, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have exacerbated the students' mental health issues which include psychological distress, panic disorder, insomnia, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. However, few studies reached a consensus on the impact of COVID-19 fear on mental health among college students. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis that quantitatively synthesized the fear among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO electronic databases were systematically searched to identify cross-sectional study reporting the state of COVID-19 fear examined by the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) published up until November 20, 2021. Methodological quality was complied with the evaluation criteria of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The random effects model was employed to estimate the pooled mean of FCV-19S score. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were also conducted. Publication bias was assessed by Begg's test and funnel plot.

Results

A total of 16 studies with a sample size of 11,872 were included. A pooled mean of FCV-19S score was 17.60 [95% confidence interval (CI): 16.41–18.78]. The mean of COVID-19 fear in women (17.11, 95% CI: 16.59–17.64) was higher than that in men (15.21, 95% CI: 14.33–16.08). The highest and lowest pooled means of FCV-19S score were observed in the studies conducted in multiple countries that include Israel, Russian, and Belarus (21.55, 95% CI: 20.77–22.33) and in Europe (16.52, 95% CI: 15.26–17.77), respectively. No significant publication bias was detected by Begg's test.

Conclusions

College students experienced a moderate level of fear caused by COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary to design and implement prevention programs that target the mental health of college students.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021287017, identifier: CRD42021287017.

Signifying the Relationship between Fear of COVID-19, Psychological Concerns, Financial Concerns and Healthcare Employees Job Performance: A Mediated Model

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has undoubtedly created immense health problems in the global healthcare sector. Apart from its impact on physical health, it has devastatingly affected the psychological well-being of individuals. Based on Affective Events Theory (AET), the current study aims to contemplate the relationship between Fear of COVID-19 (CVF), psychological concerns (PC), and financial concerns (FC) while considering the impact on the healthcare employees' job performance (JP). Moreover, this study investigates the mediating role of job anxiety (ANX), stress (ST), and depression (DEP). The data were collected through an online structured questionnaire (Google Forms) from 489 employees working in the healthcare centers of Pakistan. The structured equation modeling (partial least square) approach is adopted for data analysis. The study results showed that Fear of COVID-19, psychological and financial concerns positively and significantly affect healthcare workers' job performance. Depression, anxiety, and stress mediated the relationship between Fear of COVID-19, psychological concerns, financial concerns, and job performance. The study theoretically and practically contributes to the existing literature on psychological and mental health by providing a better understanding of the individual variables that affect employees' job performance.

Online Public Rumor Engagement Model and Intervention Strategy in Major Public Health Emergencies: From the Perspective of Social Psychological Stress

During major public health emergencies, a series of coupling problems of rumors getting out of control and public psychological imbalance always emerge in social media, which bring great interference for crisis disposal. From the perspective of social psychological stress, it is important to depict the interactive infection law among distinct types of rumor engagers (i.e., advocates, supporters, and amplifiers) under different social psychological stress states, and explore the effectiveness of rumor intervention strategies (i.e., hindering and persuasion) from multiple dimensions, to scientifically predict the situation of public opinion field and guide the public to restore psychological stability. Therefore, this paper constructs an interactive infection model of multiple rumor engagers under different intervention situations based on a unique user-aggregated dataset collected from a Chinese leading online microblogging platform (“Sina Weibo”) during the COVID-19 in 2020. The simulation result shows that (1) in the period of social psychological alarm reaction, the strong level of hindering intervention on the rumor engagers leads to more serious negative consequences; (2) in the period of social psychological resistance, the persuasion and hindering strategies can both produce good outcomes, which can effectively reduce the overall scale of rumor supporters and amplifiers and shorten their survival time in social media; (3) in the period of social psychological exhaustion, rumor intervention strategies are not able to have a significant impact; (4) the greater the intensity of intervention, the more obvious the outcome. Experimental findings provide a solid research basis for enhancing social psychological stress outcomes and offer decision-making references to formulate the rumor combating scheme.

Consumer Motivations for Adopting Omnichannel Retailing: A Safety-Driven Perspective in the Context of COVID-19

This study aims to understand the influence of COVID-19 on consumers' fears and self-protection motivations. Furthermore, the study seeks to understand the effects of these fears and motivations on consumers' intentions to use omnichannel retailing. A modified theoretical model is proposed by integrating protection motivation theory (PMT) and extending the extended parallel process model (E-EPPM). A total of 398 valid questionnaires are collected and used for further structural equation modeling analysis. The results suggest that the perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, and health anxiety positively impact perceived fears surrounding COVID-19. Furthermore, it is found that perceived fear, self-efficacy, and response efficacy will affect the protection motivation of consumers and ultimately contribute to their behavioral intention to use omnichannel retailing. The findings theoretically enrich the research on COVID-19, PMT, and E-EPPM and empirically provide managerial implications for omnichannel retail service providers.

Psychometric Properties of the Bangla Version of the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 Items Scale Among the General Population in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND

Any disease outbreak creates psychological stress and anxiety among the public [e.g., Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)]. There are several scales that assess anxiety specifically related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 items (SAVE-6) scale is a reliable and valid tool to assess anxiety in any viral pandemic. The present study aims to validate the SAVE-6 scale in the Bangla language and culture, to assess such anxiety among the general Bangladeshi people.

METHODS

The SAVE-6 scale was translated into Bangla from English using the forward-backward translation procedure. A total of 357 Bangladeshi citizens participated via an online structured questionnaire. The items included questions on personal information, COVID-19 and vaccination, psychiatric history, the Bangla version of the SAVE-6 scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items (GAD-7) scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (PHQ-9) scale.

RESULTS

Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to explore and confirm the single factor structure of the SAVE-6 scale in Bangla to be the same as that of the SAVE-6 scale. Multigroup CFA revealed invariance across sex, experience of being quarantined, experience of being infected, and presence of depression. Item analysis results showed good discrimination indices and internal consistency and reliability. The graded response model outputs also confirmed the validity and reliability of this scale, which had significant correlations with the GAD-7 and PHQ-9.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the Bangla version of the SAVE-6 is a psychometrically good scale to assess viral pandemic-related anxiety.

Psychometric Properties of the Norwegian Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale

To examine the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), randomly selected individuals from a larger registry study were invited. We assessed the reliability and validity of the instrument in a sample of 1089 adults in Norway (response rate 73%). Internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha (0.88) was acceptable. Omega alphaHierarchical (ωt = 0.69) was lower indicating that the general factor is less reliable, explaining 69% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the FCV-19S is not strictly unidimensional. Exploratory graph analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor model (cognitive and somatic fear), which were highly correlated (r = 0.84). The Norwegian version of the FCV-19S showed an underlying two-factor structure. However, the high correlation means the two latent factors (cognitive and somatic fear) act as indicators for a second-order general factor and support use of the FCV-19S sum score. The FCV-19S appears to be a valid instrument to assess fear of COVID-19 with good psychometric properties.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11469-020-00454-2.

The fear of the COVID-19 Scale: validation in the Portuguese general population

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is having a profound effect on mental health and it is therefore fundamental to evaluate individual psychological responses to COVID-19. The 7-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) assesses different aspects of the fear of coronavirus and has been applied worldwide. This study aimed to translate and validate the FCV-19S in the Portuguese population. The scale was administered to a convenience sample of 1203 Portuguese adults. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out on the initial model proposed by the authors of the FCV-19S. Further analysis revealed that the Portuguese version has good psychometric properties.

Adaptation and psychometric evaluation of Hungarian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale

Background

COVID-19 pandemic has had a global major healthcare, social and economic impact. In present study we aim to adapt the Fear of COVID-19 Scale to Hungarian.

Materials and methods

Forward-backward translation method was used to translate the English version of the scale to Hungarian. Participants were a convenience sample of 2175 university students and employees. The study was conducted between January 18^th and February 12^th 2021. The test battery included Hungarian versions of Fear of COVID-19 scale, short Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-H) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

Results

The scale showed one-factor structure, the loadings on the factor were significant and strong (from .47 to .84). Internal consistency was very good (α = .84). Construct validity for the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was supported by significant and positive correlations with STAI (r = 0.402; p < 0.001) and BDI-H (r = 0.270; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The Hungarian version of Fear of COVID-19 Scale is a reliable and valid tool in assessing fear of coronavirus.

Do we experience pandemic fatigue? current state, predictors, and prevention

There is an emerging literature on the mental and physical exhaustion due to the COVID-19 related restrictions. Some individuals seem to exercise fewer precautions recently in comparison to the onset of the pandemic in preventing the spread of the COVID-19. This phenomenon is described as pandemic fatigue. Though acknowledged in conceptual articles and news reports, there is a lack of empirical evidence pertaining to pandemic fatigue. We collected data from 516 adult participants to investigate pandemic fatigue and its relations to fear of coronavirus, intolerance of uncertainty, apathy, and self-care. 34.40% of the participants reported that the level of COVID-19-related precautions they take have decreased in comparison to measures they took at the onset of the pandemic. Additionally, our model examining the role of fear of coronavirus, intolerance of uncertainty, and apathy as mediated by self-care predicting pandemic fatigue demonstrated acceptable to excellent goodness-of-fit indices. The fact that one in every three individuals is taking fewer precautions is not only a threat to the individuals' own health but also to the public. Given that individuals are experiencing pandemic fatigue, governments should consider paying more attention to the biopsychosocial nature of humans in ordering restrictions and planning necessary precautions.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02397-w.

Orthopaedic surgeons and covid- 19, the fear quotient "What are we really worried about?"

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic swiftly affected the world in a very short duration, and the orthopaedic surgery practice is no exception. Unprecedented lockdown was enforced in many countries including India as a first response to contain virus and its spread. That lead to a lot of confusion, fear, anxiety among general population as well as orthopaedic surgeons. We have studied the impact of this pandemic with fear as a denominator and how it affected the practice and health of orthopaedic surgeons.

METHODS

Cross-sectional web-based national survey distributed to orthopaedic surgeons by social media platform over period of one month from July 25, 2020 to August 25, 2020.

RESULTS

Among 1065 responders, 731 completed the survey. Among 1065 responders, 27.22% had orthopaedic practice experience ranging from 10 to 20 years while 21.48% had orthopaedic experience more than 20 years. Scientific literature as well as social media and news media contributed significantly to Covid-19 knowledge and fear. 98.88% were worried about contracting disease by themselves or by family members. 89.47% were worried due to financial loss due to pandemic. 37 (5.06%) surgeons had a FCV- 19 scale (Fear for Covid-19 scale) score more than 60 (8.2%) while 291 (39.8%) had 41-60 and score was <40 in 403 (55.12%) surgeons. According to survey vaccine availability and emergence of effective drug and treatment protocol will alleviate most of the concerns. 70.81% felt mildly depressed during pandemic times while 65.33% surgeons expressed interest in joining discussion groups and meetings encouraging positive thoughts.

CONCLUSION

Financial liabilities and well-being of self and family are important factors which induced fear of Covid-19 among orthopaedic surgeons. Positive discussions and timely information from credible sources regarding prevention, diagnosis and management and will reduce psychological burden due to Covid-19, also this will help to form policies for future pandemics.

The Psychometric Properties of the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 Items: A Test in the U.S. General Population

Objectives: Many individuals around the world are suffering from psychological distress due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The aim of this study is to explore the validity and reliability of the English version of Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 (SAVE-6), which measures the anxiety response of the general population to the viral epidemic. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based study with self-reporting measures was conducted. A total of 314 United States residents were recruited via online platform in exchange for payment. The participants were asked to an anonymous questionnaire, collecting information on demographics, psychiatric history, SAVE-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale. Results: The result from confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated that a single-factor model [χ ( 9 ) 2 = 11.53, p = 0.24] yielded excellent fit for all of indices [χ2/df ratio = 1.28; CFI = 1.00; TLI = 1.00; SRMR = 0.02; RMSEA = 0.03 (0.00, 0.07; 90% CI)] and yielded strong internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.88). The results from multigroup CFAs showed that there were no gender differences [ Δ χ ( 6 ) 2 = 3.20, p = 0.78, ns] and no race differences [ Δ χ ( 6 ) 2 = 3.60, p = 0.73, ns] between the models, along with excellent model fits. Conclusions: The results of this study support the reliability and validity of SAVE-6 with strong psychometric properties for the English version of the U.S. population.

A Psychometric Analysis of Fear of COVID-19 Scale in India

COVID-19 has had a serious negative impact on the mental health of people around the world. The present study analyses the psychometric properties of Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in the Indian context. The study checks the one-factor and two-factor structures of the measure. Data were collected from 992 respondents from India. Structural equation modeling was performed to check the construct validity after checking the factorial validity, reliability, and model fit. Both one-factor and two-factor models had good psychometric properties. FCV-19S had significant relationships with stress and wellbeing. This study can serve as a reference to practitioners and researchers to understand and analyze fear of COVID among individuals and thus to support the mental health wellbeing during the pandemic.

Students' Wellbeing during Transition from Onsite to Online Education: Are There Risks Arising from Social Isolation?

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to activities in many fields, including education and lifestyle. Major changes have taken place in the education system, where specific activities migrated suddenly from onsite to online. As a result, this period has witnessed an increased interest in impact studies that analyse the perceptions of the actors involved in the educational process. Based on the survey data (N = 665), the perceptions of the students in Romanian universities with regard to the effects of online education during the pandemic on their wellbeing were analysed. The empirical apparatus-SEM analysis-reached the following conclusions: the students' wellbeing was increased under the traditional education system; the economic crisis has caused concern, and a decrease in their wellbeing; their contamination fear is moderate to low, and does not influence their wellbeing; they have been discouraged in terms of their personal development during the pandemic, and their wellbeing has suffered as a result; the role of institutions is extremely important, given that the students' ability to study online depends on the universities' efficiency in implementing the online system.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects of Changes in Children’s Daily-Lives and Concerns Regarding Infection on Maternal Parenting Stress

Objectives: This study examines the changes in children’s daily lives and experiences caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Further, it discusses the effects of changes in children’s daily lives and mother’s concerns regarding COVID-19 on mothers’ parenting stress during the pandemic.Methods: A survey were conducted on the mothers of 3-to 5-year-old children through an online community site for mothers. A total of 219 mothers clarified their children’s daily lifestyles before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, their concerns regarding infection, and the pandemic’s effect on maternal parenting stress. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and multiple regressions analysis.Results: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused some changes in children’s daily lifestyles, such as their sleeping habits (going-to-bed time, wake-up time, ease of falling asleep, and waking up in the middle of sleep), eating (mealtime regularity and instant food use), and main caregivers at home. Delays in their children’s wake-up times and remaining the main daytime caregivers decreased mothers’ parenting stress, whereas reductions in children’s quality of sleep in terms of difficulty in falling asleep and waking up in the middle of sleep, and mothers’ concern regarding COVID-19 infection increased mother’s parenting stress.Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic caused some changes to children’s daily lifestyles and maternal concern regarding infection, which significantly affected maternal parenting stress. However, there are many children whose daily lives have not been significantly affected. Further study is required to examine short term as well as long term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s development.

COVID-19: Fear and Anxiety among Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia. A Cross-Sectional Study

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is an extremely contagious respiratory disease. It poses a serious threat to healthcare workers which may cause substantial degree of psychological distress. This study aimed to evaluate the level of fear and anxiety among healthcare workers. A cross sectional study was designed to collect data from healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia using an online questionnaire. A non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to collect the data from 1st August to 10th August 2020 with the exclusion of non-healthcare worker and general public. A 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate the level of fear and anxiety. The data was analyzed by using Spss version 23 .The descriptive data were represented as frequencies and percentage. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to control the confounding factors and assess the relationship between variables. Data analyzed 737 participants revealed that 10.7%, 73.5%, and 15.7% of HCWs had a mild, moderate, and severe degree of fear and anxiety respectively. The multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and specialty of the participants were significantly associated with moderate and severe anxiety level. This study demonstrates that two-third of the healthcare workers had a moderate risk of fear and anxiety. However, females participants found to have elevated fear and anxiety level. Social distancing has a major impact on social well-being therefore its important to address social support through a policy. Further studies are needed to explore the mental health condition of healthcare workers in order to develop evidence based strategies.

Phobic COVID-19 Disorder Scale: Development, Dimensionality, and Item-Structure Test

Over the century, the world has witnessed a number of pandemics-such as plague, Spanish flu, smallpox, and tuberculosis. Such pandemics have not only resulted in a great loss to human lives but have also affected the economy of many countries. COVID-19, declared as global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the latest in this series which has hit the world since the last quarter of 2019. Although a number of scales exist to assess fear and distress of individuals related to COVID-19, it is well articulated in the extant literature that sometimes the proposed scales are context specific and lack applicability in multi-cultural environment as also the factors' structure of the scale are fit from the context of audience from certain geographical regions. Thus, a need was felt to evaluate the FCV-19S and propose and statistically validate a new COVID-19-based scale called Phobic COVID-19 Disorder scale (Phobic-19 scale). A structured e-questionnaire in English was used to collect the data from the respondents. A 12-item, three-dimensional (fear, anxiety, and distress) scale was developed to capture the emotions of general populations towards COVID-19. The study analyzes the dimensionality and item structure of the scale through exploratory factor analysis and further validated with the help of confirmatory factor analysis. The results show that the Phobic-19 scale has a strong internal consistency along with better psychometric characteristics. Mass replication and a large number of empirical research using the Phobic-19 scale would instill confidence amongst scholars and practitioners in the results. The findings also highlight that the results would help to advance our understanding by providing critical information related to COVID-19 and ensure that the scale provides accurate and usable data.

Fear of COVID-19 scale: Psychometric properties, reliability and validity in Egyptian population

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric qualities of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in a sample of Egyptian college students. The researchers also aim at exploring the construct validity further through examining the relationship between FCV-19S, wellbeing and life satisfaction in Egyptian universities context. The current study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Fear of COVID-19 scale among Egyptian population.

METHODS

The FCV-19S is translated and validated in Egyptian context. The forward backward translation method is used to translate the English version of the survey into Arabic. The sample is comprised of 1832 Egyptian participants, who have conducted an online survey based on the Arabic versions of FCV-19S.

RESULTS

The Cronbach α value for the Egyptian FCV-19S is 0.87, indicating a good internal reliability. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis show that the unidimensional factor structure of the FCV-19S has fitted well with the data. The FCV-19S is significantly correlated with the seven-item survey. Moreover, the results show a significant negative relationship between Fear of COVID-19 and both wellbeing and life satisfaction (r = -0.42, p < 0.001; r = -0.24, p < 0.01.), respectively.

CONCLUSION

The study supports the one factor model of FCV-19S scale in Egyptian context. The Arabic scale version in the Egyptian context shows excellent reliability and validity. This ensures a good measure that can be accepted for both academia and practitioners for analyzing ill-effects of pandemic impacts and, thereby, reducing them.

Case Report: The Excessive Fear and Dysfunctional Anxiety about the Coronavirus Disease-19: A Case Report in a Male with Coronaphobia

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been well acknowledged dominated headlines throughout the world. During a pandemic, fear related to COVID-19 is a natural psychological reaction, expressed not only in fear and anxiety related to disease and death, but also correlated with occupational social stress. A different type of developmental event, the emergence of a particular phobia, may be signaled when these fears persist and become more severe. A recent emerging phobia unique to COVID-19 is coronaphobia. CASE REPORT: We presented a case of coronaphobia in a 24-year-old male social and political sciences student in his past year academy at local community college, unmarried, from Melayu tribe. He came with his sister to seek treatment from a psychiatrist for his excessive fear and dysfunctional anxiety about the COVID-19. CONCLUSION: We give psychoeducation to him, recognizing the diagnosis, describing the process of learning fear and how it was sustained. Therapy concentrated on giving him potential reasons to challenge his doubts, patterns of avoidance, and efforts were made to replace it with more adaptive values and answers.

Incidence of PTSD and generalized anxiety symptoms during the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak: an exploratory study of a large sample of the Italian population

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, between March and May 2020, in Italy, people were asked to shelter in place and most had to put their life on hold, while news of the spread of the virus constantly were broadcasted. The change in habits and the potential exposure to a dangerous virus can be categorized as a catastrophic event, which are usually traumatic and therefore have psychological consequences for the people involved.

OBJECTIVE

Assuming the COVID-19 pandemic as a possible traumatic event, this study aims to explore the contingent behavioural and psychological impact of COVID-19 spread and related lockdown on the Italian general population, through measuring anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms .

METHODS

An ad hoc-survey was set up for the this exploratory research, including the standardized Italian versions of the Impact of Event Scale Revised (IES-R) and the Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7), and ad hoc items concerning behavioural reactions due to the pandemic spread and related mass quarantine. Participants were recruited across convenient web-based and mobile app channels using a snowball sampling technique. Data was collected from March 25th to May 1st, 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

One-thousand one hundred and ninety-five individuals (851 women and 342 men) completed 60% or more of the survey and were considered for analyses. Mean age was 40 years (s.d. = 14.948). Participants resided in 78 Italian provinces (out of 107 territorial divisions), with 25.7% residing in the Milan province and 9.2% from the Monza and Brianza provinces, closest to the epicentre of the Italian outbreak.

RESULTS

During the worst months of the first wave of the Pandemic, the Italian population suffered high level of distress (GAD-7 m = 6.89, s.d. = 5.08; IER-R mean score = 27.86, s.d. 17.46), respectively indicating mild presence of anxiety symptoms, and high levels of PTSD symptoms. Gender seems to be a discriminating variable with women scoring significantly higher than man, both for anxiety symptoms (H (1) = 82.91, p < .001) and all dimensions of PTSD symptoms (intrusion H (1) = 71.23, p < .001, avoidance H (1) = 61.28, p < .001), and hyperarousal (H (1) = 67.348, p < .001). People from Generations Y and Z show to be at higher risk of developing PTSD (V = .746, F (3,1041) =1017.19, p = .001) and GAD symptoms (F (3,1041) = 5.113, p = .002) than older generations.

CONCLUSIONS

Gender and generation appeared to be the most consistent risk factor for higher levels of generalized anxiety and PTSD symptoms in the current pandemic. Other variables - such as information seeking behaviours, parental and marriage status, chronic conditions - yielded less consistent evidence. Results indicate the need of including psychological interventions as a standard tool during the emergency management of a catastrophic events such as a pandemic.

The latent and item structure of COVID-19 fear: A comparison of four COVID-19 fear questionnaires using SEM and network analyses

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), several reports have shown that fear relating to COVID-19 has sharply increased. To measure fear of COVID-19, various questionnaires have been developed in parallel. However, fear concerning COVID-19 is not necessarily a uniform construct and the different questionnaires may cover diverse aspects. To examine the underlying structure of fear of COVID-19, we conducted structural equation modelling and network analyses on four scales in an online convenience sample (N = 829). Particularly, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (Ahorsu et al., 2020), the Fear of the Coronavirus Questionnaire (Mertens et al., 2020), and the COVID Stress Scales (Taylor, Landry, Paluszek, Fergus et al., 2020, Taylor, Landry, Paluszek, Rachor et al., 2020) were included in our study, along with a new scale that also assessed socio-economic worries relating to COVID-19. We found that fear of COVID-19 was best classified into four clusters: Fear of health-related consequences, fear of supplies shortages and xenophobia, fear about socio-economic consequences, and symptoms of fear (e.g., compulsions, nightmares). We also find that a central cluster of items centered on fear of health, which likely represents the core of fear of COVID-19. These results help to characterize fear due to COVID-19 and inform future research.

Psychometric properties of the COVID stress scales (CSS) within Arabic language in a Palestinian context

The main goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) in the Palestinian context and the factorial structure of the instrument. The CSS, a newly emerging internationally standardized measure of stress related to being exposed to or contracting COVID-19, was translated and validated for a Palestinian context to ensure that it can be used to measure COVID-19 stress. The sample of the study consisted of 860 Palestinian adults living in the West Bank of Palestine. Participants’ age ranged from 20 to 48 years old (M = 34.7, SD =13.46). They were all recruited from online advertisements, e-mail campaigns, blogs, social media, and SMS campaigns. The CSS was found to be valid in the Arabic language within a Palestinian context. The confirmatory factor analysis yielded six factors: (1) Fears about the dangerousness of COVID-19, (2) fears about the personal social, and economic consequences of COVID-19, fears of disruption in the supply chain, fears of looting or rioting, (3) COVID-19-xenophobia, fears that foreigners are sources of COVID-19, (4) fears about sources of COVID-19-related contamination,(5) traumatic stress symptoms related to COVID-19, and (6) COVID-19-related checking which is consisting with the ordinal structure the scale. The CSS demonstrated a high level of validity and reliability in a Palestinian context and therefore can be considered for future studies as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Further investigations using the Arabic Language of CSS may have far-reaching implications for measuring and combating the stress of COVID-19 at a personal and societal level for uniquely at-risk populations such as in the occupied territories of Palestine.

Experiencing fear during the pandemic: validation of the fear of COVID-19 scale in Polish

BACKGROUND

The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) is a brief self-report measure developed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The scale evaluates the emotional responses to COVID-19. To date, the FCV-19S has been translated and validated in about 20 languages and has been used in many published research. The current study aimed to validate the Polish version of the FCV-19S.

METHOD

The FCV-19S was translated into Polish using forward- and back-translation. From May 15th to June 15th 2020, a total of 708 community members (Sample 1: 383 persons, 209 females, Sample 2: 325 persons, 198 females) participated in the online study. The participants were recruited using online advertisements in social media. Participation was anonymous, voluntary, and without compensation. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the one-factor structure of the FCV-19S. Then, measurement invariance was analyzed across samples, gender and age groups. To assess the validity of the scale, correlations between the FCV-19S and the remaining scales were computed.

RESULTS

Internal consistency of the FCV-19S was good in both samples (Cronbach's alpha 0.89 and 0.85). The CFA showed that the one-factor model fits the data well (RMSEA = 0.067, 90% CI [0.059-0.094], CFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.965, GFI = 0.986). The criteria for configural, metric, scalar and strict invariance were met for all models tested. The FCV-19S scores correlated significantly with age, subjective vulnerability to the disease, neuroticism, self-reported compliance with the pandemic measures, and three kinds of preventive behavior (i.e., social distancing, hand hygiene, and disinfecting things).

CONCLUSION

The Polish version of the FCV-19S had a unidimensional structure, good reliability, and correlated as predicted with other variables. With the FCV-19S and the obtained results, healthcare professionals, researchers, and the government can gain more valuable information about people who may be at risk for negative psychological outcomes during the pandemic or who are not implementing protective behavior. The tool can be used in hospitals to quickly screen the level of fear in patients and minimize its severe adverse consequences.

Fear and Anxiety in COVID-19: Preexisting Anxiety Disorders

The general population has experienced a significant elevation in fear and anxiety during COVID-19 both as a direct result of the virus but also due to measures taken to prevent it spreading, such as the need to stay inside and increase hand-washing. Lockdown has been used in many/most countries to prevent widespread infection. The advice and imposed actions are necessary to prevent the virus from spreading, but they might exacerbate the problems experienced by people with a preexisting anxiety-related disorder. The treatment of anxiety-related disorders can be provided while in quarantine. Staying at home in self-isolation does not preclude obtaining psychological treatment for anxiety-related disorders. Dealing with cognitive biases, over-estimations of threat, intolerance of uncertainty, inflated responsibility and excessive safety behavior, are useful clinical directions.

Teaching Physics for Computer Science Students in Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Fully Internet-Supported Course

The COVID-19 pandemic has modified and diversified the ways that students receive education. During confinements, complex courses integrating previous knowledge must be carefully designed and implemented to effectively replace the elements present in face-to-face learning to improve the students’ experience. This work assesses the implementation of a digital-learning physics course for computer science students in a skill-based education program in higher education. The assessment was useful for the institution to evaluate if the digital strategy implemented in the course fulfilled the original premises and objectives. The analyses performed provide useful knowledge of theoretical and operational actions applied in this methodology that could be adapted to similar courses for the younger generations in this university. COVID-19 confinement will continue in Mexico in 2021. This assessment resulted in a positive evaluation of the digital strategy being followed, which can be continued while the contingency lasts. Three teachers came together to design math, physics, and computational sciences content for various sections of a physics course. The analysis was developed and implemented according to an institutional digital delivery model for the COVID-19 pandemic. Elements related to attendance, digital access, performance distribution by gender, activity types, and the course learning sections were considered. The analysis was performed with some techniques found in the literature for small groups, complemented when necessary by standard statistical tests to discern meaningful trends. A primary goal was to assess skill-based learning in the course delivered digitally due to the COVID-19 confinement. Furthermore, additional issues concerning the learning dynamics were searched, reported, and analyzed. Finally, the outcomes of an institutional exit survey collecting students’ opinions supported certain observed behaviors. The analysis produced meaningful evidence that the course’s skill-based development was well supported by the digital delivery during the confinement. Furthermore, differences in the students’ performances in the various course content sections proved statistically significant and are discussed in this work.

Social media exposure, risk perception, preventive behaviors and attitudes during the COVID-19 epidemic in La Paz, Bolivia: A cross sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association among social media exposure, risk perception, preventive behaviors, and attitudes toward the COVID-19 epidemic in Bolivia.

METHODS

We launched an online survey in La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia, during April and May 2020. The questionnaire examined: Socio-demographic factors, Social media use, Risk Perception, Preventive behaviors, attitudes and the willingness to use a vaccine if it were available in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. A logistic regression was used to evaluate factors associated with risk perception and a structural equation model (SEM) was performed to explore the pathway of the relationship among social media exposure, risk perception and preventive behaviors and attitudes.

RESULTS

Among 886 participants, the most were young adults, between 18-25 years old (73.4%) and 577 (65.1%) were female. During the the week before the survey 387 (43.7%) reported be exposure to social media Covid-19 information almost always or always. Moreover 304 (34.3%) were categorized as with a high risk perception. The multivariable analyses show that being female (aOR = 1.5, CI 95% 1.1-2.1) and having high exposure to Covid-19 information on social media (aOR = 2.5, CI 95% 1.3-5.3) were associated with a higher risk perception for Covid-19. Furthermore, SEM results indicated that risk perception is associated with the adoption of preventive behaviors and attitudes (β = 0.605, p < 0.001) including the acceptance of a vaccine if one were available (β = 0.388, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Social media exposure to COVID-19 information influences the adoption of preventive attitudes and behaviors through shaping risk perception. Understanding the role of social media during the pandemic could help policymakers and communicators to develop better communication strategies that enable the population to adopt appropriate attitudes and behaviors.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and work-related stress in Umbrian healthcare workers during Phase 1 in Italy

BACKGROUND

Depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and poor sleep quality increased in healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to assess levels of psychological distress in Umbrian HCWs during the COVID-19 Phase 1 lockdown along with exploring the relationship between sociodemographic/occupational factors.

METHODS

Data on sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, change of job description, economic losses and emergency involvement and SARS-CoV2 infections in the workplace were collected using an anonymous online survey sent by healthcare professional associations. Data concerning psychological healthcare distress, were collected anonymously using BIAS 20 (stress balance) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21).

RESULTS

One thousand and one healthcare workers responded to the questionnaire. Biological risk at work was perceived by all HCWs, less so from psychologists and more so from those working in hospitals. Stress symptoms (DASS21 >14) were associated with a younger age group (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97-0.99) and less work experience (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96-0.99). Younger age was also associated with anxiety symptoms (DASS 21 >7) (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97-0.99), as well as graduate/post graduate education level (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.14-3.63). Working as an independent contractor was a risk factor for high stress health impact (OR 2.00; CI 1.40-2.86) and stress (OR 1.87; CI 1.20-2.92), anxiety (OR 1.89; CI 1.22-2.92) and depression (OR 1.57; CI 1.10-2.22) symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed a possible relationship between healthcare type of employment and distress symptoms during Covid19 pandemic phase 1. Results of our study should be confirmed in other Italian healthcare settings and could serve as a preliminarily baseline for multidisciplinary Italian collaboration.

Mental Health Screening for COVID-19: a Proposed Cutoff Score for the Greek Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S)

The COVID-19 pandemic elicited fear. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) is a newly developed self-reported measure, originally developed in Persian to assess COVID-19-related fear. To date, the scale has been translated and validated in 19 other languages, among which Greek. This study, conducted through an online survey, aimed to further explore the validity of the Greek FCV-19S version, as well as to identify appropriate cutoff scores. A total of 538 respondents completed the sociodemographic data sheet, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, the Short Health Anxiety Inventory, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-8 inventory. According to the results, a cutoff point score of 16.5 or higher revealed a significant predictive power for anxiety, health anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Altogether, although the cutoff scores of the Greek FCV-19S version were explored to further evaluate the scale’s validity, they may facilitate discrimination of adults with extreme COVID-19-related fear from those with normal fear reactions.

Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Sense of Coherence

The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19, the ensuing pandemic, and the related containment measures pose considerable challenges to psychological resilience and well-being. Researchers are now forced to look for resources to cope with negative experiences linked to this health emergency. According to the salutogenic approach proposed by Antonovsky, the sense of coherence (SOC) is a major source of resilience. Thus, this study aimed at assessing the role of SOC in moderating the link between illness experiences (in terms of knowing persons diagnosed with COVID-19 and fear of contracting COVID-19) and psychological well-being. 2,784 participants, taken from a large sample of the Italian population (65.4% females) and aged between 18 and 85 years, filled in an anonymous online survey during the 3rd week of the lockdown. Findings supported the moderating role of SOC in shaping the link between illness experiences and psychological well-being. Specifically, participants who knew at least one person diagnosed with COVID-19 showed lower levels of psychological well-being at low levels of SOC. The negative relation between participants' fear of contracting COVID-19 and psychological well-being was stronger for those who showed higher levels of SOC. This study discusses the implications of these results for interventions aimed at reducing the pandemic's detrimental effects and promoting resilience.

Fear of COVID-19 Scale for Hospital Staff in Regional Hospitals in Mexico: a Brief Report

The presence of COVID-19 has had psychological consequences among health personnel; these include fear, anxiety, and depression. In the current study, we used the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to assess the response to fear within health staff in Mexico. This was a cross-sectional survey study in which we administered the Spanish version of the FCV-19S to hospital staff. The FCV-19S is a seven-item questionnaire that assesses the severity of fear caused by COVID-19. A total of 2860 participants—1641 female and 1218 male personnel from three hospitals—were included in the study. The internal reliability of the scale was good, with Cronbach’s alpha of .902. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the seven items of the FCV-19S, showing good model fit (χ² (7) = 29.40, p < .001; CFI = .99; TLI = .99; RMSEA = .03; SRMR = .010; AIC = 71.40). We found a global FCV-19S mean score of 19.3 ± 6.9, with a significant difference in scores between women and men. Our survey shows a significantly higher level of fear in nursing and administrative personnel, which may be explained by the nursing staff being in close contact with infected patients and the administrative staff lacking understanding of the possible implications of the infection, compared with nonclinical hospital personnel. Our results are consistent with those of other researchers. We must remember that fear is a reaction and that we must be courageous enough to trust validated infection prevention practices to provide the highest standard of care, in the safest environment that we can, for as long as we can.

The mediating effect of the cyberchondria and anxiety sensitivity in the association between problematic internet use, metacognition beliefs, and fear of COVID-19 among Iranian online population

With the rapid growth of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), individuals may try to find related medical information using the internet to overcome their fears. Under such circumstances, individuals with the features of cyberchondria, anxiety sensitivity, and metacognitive beliefs in negative thoughts may suffer more fears than those without these features. Therefore, the present study proposed a model to understand the associations between problematic internet use (PIU), cyberchondria, anxiety sensitivity, metacognition beliefs, and fear of COVID-19. Utilizing a cross-sectional online survey, 651 Iranians completed the following psychometric scales: Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Anxiety Sensitivity Questionnaire (ASI), Cyberchondria Severity Scale-Short Form (CSS-12), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), and Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the proposed model via several fit indices. The indices include Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The fit indices (CFI = 0.948, TLI = 0.938, RMSEA = 0.053, and SRMR = 0.001) indicated the good fit between the data and the proposed model. Moreover, fear of COVID-19 was significantly and directly predicted by cyberchondria (β = 0.479, p < .001) and anxiety sensitivity (β = 0.286, p < .001). The relationship between PIU and cyberchondria with fear of COVID-19 was mediated significantly by anxiety sensitivity and metacognitive beliefs. Because fear of COVID-19 was found to be significantly associated with cyberchondria and anxiety sensitivity, healthcare providers may want to provide additional support for those with cyberchondria and anxiety sensitivity tendencies.

Covid-19 Demographics from a Tertiary Care Center: Does It Depreciate Quality-of-Life?

Novel Coronavirus-disease-2019 (Covid-19) caused by the severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) shows a rapid spread all over the world. It’s still an ongoing pandemic with greater morbidity and mortality. In our study, we describe clinical features, and demographics of patients presenting to our tertiary care center with Covid–19 infection. Global burden was around 14 million Covid-19 positive cases with .5 million deaths and rising as per WHO update. A descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was carried out from June 1st to 30th, 2020 in a tertiary care center. Patients who tested positive by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase chain reaction were included in the study and clinical characteristics and outcome of the patients were analyzed along with impact on quality-of-life. Sample size was 250. Mean age was around 41 years, with age range from 15 to 75 years. Gender ratio was 1:2.4, with male preponderance. Most common presenting symptom was throat pain (60%). Rhinorrhea and sneezing complaints were not recorded. Clinical categorization was done and scored accordingly. Clinical outcomes of above patients showed complication rate 5.2%, mortality rate .8%, with discharge and recovery rate being rate 94.8% and 96% respectively. Fear of COVID-19 scale was used to assess quality-of-life impact. We found throat pain was the most common symptom in our study. No cases reported with rhinorrhea/sneezing. Good recovery rate noted. Quality-of-life impacted.

Using an integrated social cognition model to predict COVID-19 preventive behaviours

Objectives

Rates of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infections have rapidly increased worldwide and reached pandemic proportions. A suite of preventive behaviours have been recommended to minimize risk of COVID‐19 infection in the general population. The present study utilized an integrated social cognition model to explain COVID‐19 preventive behaviours in a sample from the Iranian general population.

Design

The study adopted a three‐wave prospective correlational design.

Methods

Members of the general public (N = 1,718, M_age = 33.34, SD = 15.77, male = 796, female = 922) agreed to participate in the study. Participants completed self‐report measures of demographic characteristics, intention, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and action self‐efficacy at an initial data collection occasion. One week later, participants completed self‐report measures of maintenance self‐efficacy, action planning and coping planning, and, a further week later, measures of COVID‐19 preventive behaviours. Hypothesized relationships among social cognition constructs and COVID‐19 preventive behaviours according to the proposed integrated model were estimated using structural equation modelling.

Results

The proposed model fitted the data well according to multiple goodness‐of‐fit criteria. All proposed relationships among model constructs were statistically significant. The social cognition constructs with the largest effects on COVID‐19 preventive behaviours were coping planning (β = .575, p < .001) and action planning (β = .267, p < .001).

Conclusions

Current findings may inform the development of behavioural interventions in health care contexts by identifying intervention targets. In particular, findings suggest targeting change in coping planning and action planning may be most effective in promoting participation in COVID‐19 preventive behaviours.

Fear of the coronavirus (COVID-19): Predictors in an online study conducted in March 2020

Fear is an adaptive response in the presence of danger. However, when threat is uncertain and continuous, as in the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, fear can become chronic and burdensome. To identify predictors of fear of the coronavirus, we conducted an online survey (N = 439) three days after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic (i.e., between March 14 and 17, 2020). Fear of the coronavirus was assessed with the newly developed Fear of the Coronavirus Questionnaire (FCQ) consisting of eight questions pertaining to different dimensions of fear (e.g., subjective worry, safety behaviors, preferential attention), and an open-ended question. The predictors included psychological vulnerability factors (i.e., intolerance of uncertainty, worry, and health anxiety), media exposure, and personal relevance (i.e., personal health, risk for loved ones, and risk control). We found four predictors for the FCQ in a simultaneous regression analysis: health anxiety, regular media use, social media use, and risks for loved ones (R² = .37). Furthermore, 16 different topics of concern were identified based participants' open-ended responses, including the health of loved ones, health care systems overload, and economic consequences. We discuss the relevance of our findings for managing people's fear of the coronavirus.

Aggregated COVID-19 suicide incidences in India: Fear of COVID-19 infection is the prominent causative factor

Many Indian COVID-19 suicide cases are turning the press-media attention and flooding in the social media platforms although, no particular studies assessed the COVID-19 suicide causative factors to a large extent. Therefore, the present study presents 69 COVID-19 suicide cases (aged 19 to 65 years; 63 cases were males). The suicide causalities are included as follows - fear of COVID-19 infection (n=21), followed by financial crisis (n=19), loneliness, social boycott and pressure to be quarantine, COVID-19 positive, COVID-19 work-related stress, unable to come back home due to lockdown, unavailability of alcohol etc. Considering the extreme psychological impacts related to COVID-19, there emerges a need for countrywide extensive tele-mental health care services.

Validation and Psychometric Properties of the Japanese Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale Among Adolescents

In the context of the global outbreak of COVID-19, there is an urgent need to explore the effects of this pandemic on the mental health of adolescents. The present study aims to adapt and validate a Japanese-version Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) with a sample of adolescent students from Japan. To this end, the Japanese-version FCV-19S, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A), and Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Scale (PVDS) were administered to a sample of Japanese adolescents in schools. The results of statistical analyses revealed that the Japanese-version FCV-19S has a bi-factor model consisting of the emotional response factor and the physiological response factor, with high reliability (emotional: α = .71; physiological: α = .82). Constructive validity was shown by the significant positive correlation between the GAD-7 and emotional (r = .11) and physiological response (r = .25), between PHQ-A and physiological response (r = .19), and between both factors and the PVDS subscale (rs > .16). Taken together, these results indicate that the Japanese-version FCV-19S has a high internal consistency and a moderately good construct validity.

Baixas na linha de frente: absenteísmo entre bombeiros durante o combate à pandemia da COVID-19

Resumo Objetivos: descrever o absenteísmo relacionado a casos suspeitos (com infecção respiratória aguda) e confirmados da COVID-19 e a outros diagnósticos entre bombeiros de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Métodos: foram analisados os registros oficiais sobre afastamento do trabalho por problemas de saúde (licença-saúde). A análise foi organizada em: 1) gráficos estratificados por grupo de diagnóstico; 2) análises descritivas da proporção de licenças-saúde e do percentual de dias de trabalho perdidos por infecção respiratória aguda; 3) comparação (qui-quadrado) da proporção de licenças-saúde e do percentual de dias de trabalho perdidos por infecção respiratória aguda e por outros diagnósticos entre 2019 e 2020. Resultados: a análise gráfica mostrou um padrão regular de licenças-saúde antes do início da pandemia, um pico de licenças-saúde por infecção respiratória aguda após o início da pandemia e um novo padrão de licenças-saúde após o período de pico. A proporção de licenças-saúde e o percentual de dias de trabalho perdidos por infecção respiratória aguda aumentaram, respectivamente, 312% e 580% em 2020. Em contraste, o percentual de dias de trabalho perdidos por outros diagnósticos diminuiu 16%. Conclusão: a mudança no perfil de absenteísmo entre bombeiros reflete o vínculo formal de emprego, as políticas institucionais e a percepção de risco sobre a COVID-19.