Hesitancy to Return to the Pre-pandemic Routine

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis impacting societal functioning.
• Hesitancy, defined as the inability to resume previous life activities, emerged as a significant post-crisis challenge.
• Understanding and measuring this hesitancy is crucial for addressing mental health and socialization issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore COVID-19 related hesitancy in the general Greek population.
• To develop and validate a new questionnaire for measuring hesitancy.
• To investigate demographic factors associated with COVID-19 related hesitancy.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was conducted in November 2020 with 538 participants from the Greek population.
• The Hesitancy Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item (GAD-2), Short Health Anxiety Inventory, and a COVID-19 worry question were administered.
• Convenience sampling was used for participant recruitment.

Main Results:

• The Hesitancy Questionnaire demonstrated adequate psychometric properties.
• Significant, yet low, correlation between hesitancy and anxiety (GAD-2) suggests distinct constructs.
• Older adults and women exhibited higher levels of COVID-19 related hesitancy compared to younger individuals and men.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a validated tool for assessing COVID-19 related hesitancy.
• Findings highlight specific demographic groups, namely older adults and women, experiencing greater difficulty returning to pre-pandemic functioning.
• Addressing hesitancy is vital to mitigate potential increases in stress, mental health problems, and socialization difficulties.