Associations between Fear of COVID-19, Depression, and Internet Addiction in South Korean Adults

How Can the Coping Strategies Mediate the Relationship Among COVID-19 Stress, Depression, and Anxiety?

OBJECTIVE

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a severe impact on mental health. To explore the underlying mechanisms that influence mental health, a critical question is whether different types of coping strategies may mediate the relationships between COVID-19 related stress and mental health.

METHODS

Recruited between October 19 and 24, 2021, a total of 500 participants aged 20 to 69 years completed an online survey to evaluate the COVID-19 stress, coping orientation, depression and state anxiety. The period corresponded to the highest level of COVID-19 restrictions (level 4) immediately before the adjusted restriction to level 3. Parallel mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Distinct mediation effects of the COVID-19 stress (i.e., fear of infection, difficulties of social distancing, anger toward others) through three types of coping strategies (i.e., functional, dysfunctional, seeking support) were found. Fear of infection was likely to be related to functional coping and dysfunctional coping. Social distancing model indicated dysfunctional coping and seeking support, while anger toward others model was associated with functional coping and seeking support.

CONCLUSION

The results highlight the different relationships between COVID-19 stress and mental health coping strategies. The identification of these mediation pathways offers guidance for designing effective interventions and support systems to promote psychological well-being during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effect of the peripartum depressive symptoms on the Internet use disorder of their offspring in late childhood: retrospective longitudinal study

Internet use disorder (IUD) is an emerging social and mental health concern. This study aimed to analyze the relative risk of IUD in late childhood among children whose mothers experienced peripartum depressive symptoms. This study included 762 participants (397 boys and 365 girls) and was conducted in 2017 (aged 9) and 2019 (aged 11). We analyzed the adjusted relative risk of being at high risk for IUD based on whether the mother experienced depressive symptoms during pregnancy or one month after delivery. We also considered the persistence of depressed mood for 4 months after delivery and the severity of peripartum depressive symptoms. From 2017, 20.7% of boys and 14.0% of girls were at high risk of developing IUD. Compared to the non-peripartum depressive group, girls whose mothers experienced peripartum depressive symptoms and those that persisted for 4 months were 1.084 and 1.124 times more likely to be at high risk of IUD (95% confidence interval = 1.005-1.170 and 1.013-1.248), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences among boys. Peripartum depressed mood could be one of risk factors of IUD. IUD needs to be monitored in children whose mothers experienced peripartum depressive symptoms.