Worries about COVID-19 infection and psychological distress at work and while commuting

Objective This study examined the relationship between worry about COVID-19 infection in general, in the workplace and while commuting to work and psychological distress in the midst of a rapid outbreak of COVID-19 in Japan. Methods This cross-sectional, internet monitor study was conducted on December 22– 26, 2020. Subjects were collected from throughout Japan. Out of a total of 33,302 participants, 26,841 people were included in the study after removing those providing fraudulent responses. The subjects were asked single-item questions about whether they were worried about COVID-19 infection in general, at work and while commuting to work. Kessler 6 (K6) was used to assess psychological distress. The odds ratios (ORs) of psychological distress associated with worry about infection were estimated using a multilevel logistic model nested in the prefecture of residence, with adjustment for sex, age, education, equivalent household income, occupation, number of business establishments, smoking status, alcohol consumption, frequency of telecommuting, use of public transportation, perceived assessment of workplace infection control efforts, presence of infection among acquaintances, and experience of being a close contact. Psychological distress was defined as a K6 score of 5 or higher and 13 or higher. Results Multivariate analysis showed that the OR of severe psychological distress associated with general worry about COVID-19 infection was 1.10 (95% CI 1.00–1.22). The OR was significantly higher in association with worry about infection in the workplace at 1.71 (95%CI 1.53–1.92) and worry about infection while commuting at 1.49 (95%CI 1.32–1.67). Conclusions The present study suggests the need for psychological intervention to reduce worry about infection in response to public mental health challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.