One Virus, Four Continents, Eight Countries: An Interdisciplinary and International Study on the Psychosocial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adults

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-Poirier, Éric Champagne, Nathalie Burlone, Zeeshan Qadar, Teodoro Herbosa, Gleisse Ribeiro-Alves, Ronald Law, Virginia Murray, Emily Ying Yang Chan, Nathalie Pignard-Cheynel, Sébastien Salerno, Grégoire Lits, Leen d’Haenens, David De Coninck, Koenraad Matthys and Mathieu Roy
Additional contact information
Mélissa Généreux: Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
Philip J. Schluter: School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury-Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Kevin KC Hung: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street 30-32, Hong Kong SAR, China
Chi Shing Wong: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street 30-32, Hong Kong SAR, China
Catherine Pui Yin Mok: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street 30-32, Hong Kong SAR, China
Tracey O’Sullivan: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 7K4, Canada
Marc D. David: Département de communication, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Marie-Eve Carignan: Département de communication, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Gabriel Blouin-Genest: School of Applied Politics, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Olivier Champagne-Poirier: Département de communication, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Éric Champagne: School of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
Nathalie Burlone: School of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
Zeeshan Qadar: National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5, Canada
Teodoro Herbosa: Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Philippines, Manille Grand Manille 1000, Philippines
Gleisse Ribeiro-Alves: Centro Universitário de Brasília, Brasília 70850-090, Brazil
Ronald Law: Department of Health, Manila, Manille 2932, Philippines
Virginia Murray: Public Health England, London SE1 8UG, UK
Emily Ying Yang Chan: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street 30-32, Hong Kong SAR, China
Nathalie Pignard-Cheynel: Académie du journalisme et des médias, Université de Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Sébastien Salerno: Université de Genève, Boulevard du Pont-d’Arve 40, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
Grégoire Lits: Institut Langage et Communication, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Leen d’Haenens: Institute for Media Studies, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
David De Coninck: Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Koenraad Matthys: Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Mathieu Roy: Department of Family Medicine & Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-16

Abstract: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought about several features that increased the sense of fear and confusion, such as quarantine and financial losses among other stressors, which may have led to adverse psychosocial outcomes. The influence of such stressors took place within a broader sociocultural context that needs to be considered. The objective was to examine how the psychological response to the pandemic varied across countries and identify which risk/protective factors contributed to this response. An online survey was conducted from 29 May 2020–12 June 2020, among a multinational sample of 8806 adults from eight countries/regions (Canada, United States, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Hong Kong, Philippines, New Zealand). Probable generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depression episode (MDE) were assessed. The independent role of a wide range of potential factors was examined using multilevel logistic regression. Probable GAD and MDE were indicated by 21.0% and 25.5% of the respondents, respectively, with an important variation according to countries/regions (GAD: 12.2–31.0%; MDE: 16.7–32.9%). When considered together, 30.2% of the participants indicated probable GAD or MDE. Several factors were positively associated with a probable GAD or MDE, including (in descending order of importance) weak sense of coherence (SOC), lower age, false beliefs, isolation, threat perceived for oneself/family, mistrust in authorities, stigma, threat perceived for country/world, financial losses, being a female, and having a high level of information about COVID-19. Having a weak SOC yielded the highest adjusted odds ratio for probable GAD or MDE (3.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.73–3.77). This pandemic is having an impact on psychological health. In some places and under certain circumstances, however, people seem to be better protected psychologically. This is a unique opportunity to evaluate the psychosocial impacts across various sociocultural backgrounds, providing important lessons that could inform all phases of disaster risk management.

Keywords: pandemic; psychosocial impacts; sense of coherence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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