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Increased COVID-19-related fear and subjective risk perception regarding COVID-19 affects behavior in individuals

Hannah Kohler1, Alexander Bäuerle1, Adam Schweda1

  • 1University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
|March 15, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Individuals with high-risk diseases experienced greater anxiety and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic. This heightened psychological burden, including safety behaviors, underscores the need for targeted mental health support strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global health.
  • Individuals with pre-existing conditions like diabetes and hypertension are at higher risk for severe COVID-19.
  • The psychological impact on these high-risk populations remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the psychological burden and behavioral changes in individuals with high-risk diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To compare mental health outcomes between high-risk individuals and those without pre-existing conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A large-scale study involving 16,983 respondents.
  • Assessment of generalized anxiety (GAD-7), COVID-19-related fear, safety behaviors, and risk perception.
  • Comparative analysis between participants with and without high-risk diseases.

Main Results:

  • Participants with high-risk diseases reported elevated levels of generalized anxiety and COVID-19-related fear.
  • Increased adherent and dysfunctional safety behaviors were observed in the high-risk group.
  • Subjective risk perception regarding disease severity and mortality was higher among high-risk individuals.

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects the mental health of individuals with high-risk diseases.
  • Elevated fear, while concerning, may function as a motivator for protective behaviors.
  • There is a critical need for tailored psychological support strategies for vulnerable populations during health crises.

Keywords:
COVID-19anxietycomorbiditiesmental healthmultimorbiditysafety behavior

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