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Predicting the Severity of Symptoms of the COVID Stress Syndrome From Personality Traits: A Prospective Network Analysis
- Source :
- Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers in Psychology, Vol 12 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Psychological stress reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic are complex and multifaceted. Research provides evidence of a COVID Stress Syndrome (CSS), consisting of (1) worry about the dangerousness of getting infected with SARSCoV2 and coming into contact with infected surfaces, (2) worry concerning the personal socioeconomic consequences of COVID-19, (3) xenophobic fears that SARSCOV2 is being spread by foreigners, (4) COVID-19-related traumatic stress symptoms (e.g., nightmares), and (5) compulsive checking and reassurance-seeking about COVID-19. Little is known about how these symptoms are related to vulnerability and protective personality factors. Based on data from 1,976 US and Canadian adults, we conducted a prospective network analysis in which personality factors were initially assessed at Time 1 and then symptoms of the CSS were assessed at Time 2, 2.5 months later. Results indicated that trait optimism and trait resilience were negatively associated with negative emotionality, suggesting a modulatory (inhibitory) influence. Negative emotionality was positively linked to the narrower traits of intolerance of uncertainty and health anxiety proneness. These narrower traits, in turn, were prospectively linked to symptoms of the CSS. Results suggest that the effects of broad personality traits (e.g., negative emotionality, trait resilience) on symptoms of the CSS were mediated by narrower traits such as the intolerance of uncertainty. Treatment implications are discussed.
- Subjects :
- 050103 clinical psychology
media_common.quotation_subject
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Optimism
negative emotionality
medicine
intolerance of uncertainty
Personality
Psychology
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Big Five personality traits
resilience
network analysis
General Psychology
media_common
Original Research
05 social sciences
Traumatic stress
COVID-19
BF1-990
COVID Stress Syndrome
health anxiety
personality
Trait
Anxiety
Psychological resilience
medicine.symptom
Worry
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Clinical psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 16641078
- Volume :
- 12
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in psychology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f9a16c5a27ca004bcd94be4dc331f754