Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population

Brigitte Lueger-Schuster; Irina Zrnić Novaković; Annett Lotzin

doi:10.3390/ijerph19138223

Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population

Standard

Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population. / Lueger-Schuster, Brigitte; Zrnić Novaković, Irina; Lotzin, Annett.

in: INT J ENV RES PUB HE, Jahrgang 19, Nr. 13, 8223, 05.07.2022.

Publikationen: SCORING: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift/Zeitung › SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz › Forschung › Begutachtung

Harvard

Lueger-Schuster, B, Zrnić Novaković, I & Lotzin, A 2022, 'Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population', INT J ENV RES PUB HE, Jg. 19, Nr. 13, 8223. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138223

APA

Lueger-Schuster, B., Zrnić Novaković, I., & Lotzin, A. (2022). Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population. INT J ENV RES PUB HE, 19(13), [8223]. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138223

Vancouver

Lueger-Schuster B, Zrnić Novaković I, Lotzin A. Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population. INT J ENV RES PUB HE. 2022 Jul 5;19(13). 8223. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138223

Bibtex

@article{78d0cccae54f4cb3bac9d6d31d0b4ca0,

title = "Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population",

abstract = "Since the long-term mental health impact of COVID-19 is not yet fully understood, the present study explored changes in mental health outcomes and pandemic-related coping behaviors across four pandemic stages. The main objective was to gain insights into the dynamics of mental health and coping, considering different pandemic features at different assessment waves. The final sample consisted of N = 243 adults from the Austrian general population. Data were collected at four timepoints (between June 2020 and December 2021) via LimeSurvey, an open-source online survey tool. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorder (AD), anxiety, and depression were assessed using validated instruments: Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), AD-New Module 8 (ADNM-8), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ4). We also administered the Pandemic Coping Scale (PCS) to address pandemic-related coping behaviors. Cochran{\textquoteright}s Q test and repeated measures ANOVAs were applied to assess changes over time. The results indicated that prevalence rates of AD (χ2(2) = 16.88, p = 0.001), depression (χ2(3) = 18.69, p < 0.001), and anxiety (χ2(3) = 19.10, p < 0.001) significantly changed across four assessment waves. Changes in mean scores of the assessed mental health outcomes were also observed. For pandemic-related coping, we found differences in the subscales: healthy lifestyle: F(3, 651) = 5.11, prevention adherence: F(2.73, 592.35) = 21.88, and joyful activities: F(3, 651) = 5.03. Taken together, our study showed a higher mental health burden in wintertime than in summertime, indicating an increased need for psychosocial support in times of stricter measures, higher incidences, and higher death rates. Furthermore, the observed decrease in adaptive coping behaviors suggests that easy-to-implement coping strategies should be actively promoted in order to maintain mental health during and in the aftermath of pandemics.",

keywords = "Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Anxiety/epidemiology, Austria/epidemiology, COVID-19/epidemiology, Depression/epidemiology, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Outcome Assessment, Health Care",

author = "Brigitte Lueger-Schuster and {Zrni{\'c} Novakovi{\'c}}, Irina and Annett Lotzin",

year = "2022",

month = jul,

day = "5",

doi = "10.3390/ijerph19138223",

language = "English",

volume = "19",

journal = "INT J ENV RES PUB HE",

issn = "1660-4601",

publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",

number = "13",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population

AU - Lueger-Schuster, Brigitte

AU - Zrnić Novaković, Irina

AU - Lotzin, Annett

PY - 2022/7/5

Y1 - 2022/7/5

N2 - Since the long-term mental health impact of COVID-19 is not yet fully understood, the present study explored changes in mental health outcomes and pandemic-related coping behaviors across four pandemic stages. The main objective was to gain insights into the dynamics of mental health and coping, considering different pandemic features at different assessment waves. The final sample consisted of N = 243 adults from the Austrian general population. Data were collected at four timepoints (between June 2020 and December 2021) via LimeSurvey, an open-source online survey tool. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorder (AD), anxiety, and depression were assessed using validated instruments: Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), AD-New Module 8 (ADNM-8), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ4). We also administered the Pandemic Coping Scale (PCS) to address pandemic-related coping behaviors. Cochran’s Q test and repeated measures ANOVAs were applied to assess changes over time. The results indicated that prevalence rates of AD (χ2(2) = 16.88, p = 0.001), depression (χ2(3) = 18.69, p < 0.001), and anxiety (χ2(3) = 19.10, p < 0.001) significantly changed across four assessment waves. Changes in mean scores of the assessed mental health outcomes were also observed. For pandemic-related coping, we found differences in the subscales: healthy lifestyle: F(3, 651) = 5.11, prevention adherence: F(2.73, 592.35) = 21.88, and joyful activities: F(3, 651) = 5.03. Taken together, our study showed a higher mental health burden in wintertime than in summertime, indicating an increased need for psychosocial support in times of stricter measures, higher incidences, and higher death rates. Furthermore, the observed decrease in adaptive coping behaviors suggests that easy-to-implement coping strategies should be actively promoted in order to maintain mental health during and in the aftermath of pandemics.

AB - Since the long-term mental health impact of COVID-19 is not yet fully understood, the present study explored changes in mental health outcomes and pandemic-related coping behaviors across four pandemic stages. The main objective was to gain insights into the dynamics of mental health and coping, considering different pandemic features at different assessment waves. The final sample consisted of N = 243 adults from the Austrian general population. Data were collected at four timepoints (between June 2020 and December 2021) via LimeSurvey, an open-source online survey tool. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorder (AD), anxiety, and depression were assessed using validated instruments: Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), AD-New Module 8 (ADNM-8), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ4). We also administered the Pandemic Coping Scale (PCS) to address pandemic-related coping behaviors. Cochran’s Q test and repeated measures ANOVAs were applied to assess changes over time. The results indicated that prevalence rates of AD (χ2(2) = 16.88, p = 0.001), depression (χ2(3) = 18.69, p < 0.001), and anxiety (χ2(3) = 19.10, p < 0.001) significantly changed across four assessment waves. Changes in mean scores of the assessed mental health outcomes were also observed. For pandemic-related coping, we found differences in the subscales: healthy lifestyle: F(3, 651) = 5.11, prevention adherence: F(2.73, 592.35) = 21.88, and joyful activities: F(3, 651) = 5.03. Taken together, our study showed a higher mental health burden in wintertime than in summertime, indicating an increased need for psychosocial support in times of stricter measures, higher incidences, and higher death rates. Furthermore, the observed decrease in adaptive coping behaviors suggests that easy-to-implement coping strategies should be actively promoted in order to maintain mental health during and in the aftermath of pandemics.

KW - Adaptation, Psychological

KW - Adult

KW - Anxiety/epidemiology

KW - Austria/epidemiology

KW - COVID-19/epidemiology

KW - Depression/epidemiology

KW - Humans

KW - Longitudinal Studies

KW - Outcome Assessment, Health Care

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19138223

DO - 10.3390/ijerph19138223

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 35805882

VL - 19

JO - INT J ENV RES PUB HE

JF - INT J ENV RES PUB HE

SN - 1660-4601

IS - 13

M1 - 8223

ER -