The relationship between health worry, work distress, and affective symptoms during the <scp>COVID</scp> ‐19 pandemic: The mediating role of hopelessness and helplessness

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic presented both serious health threats and economic hardships, which were reflected in increased rates of mood and anxiety symptoms. We examined two separate distress domains, health worries and work distress, as predictors of mood and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, we considered whether these two domains might be uniquely associated with the development of dysfunctional beliefs, as a proposed mechanism to account for increased symptoms during the pandemic. Two separate models were considered to examine if associations remained stable through the first year of the pandemic. METHODS: Participants (N = 2152) were a representative sample of Florida adults. They completed online surveys at three waves: Wave 1 (April-May 2020), Wave 2 (May-June 2020), and Wave 3 (December-February 2021). Participants completed measures of COVID-19 health worry and work distress, anxiety, and depression. They also reported their level of hopelessness and helplessness (indices of dysfunctional beliefs). RESULTS: In an early pandemic model (Wave 1-Wave 2), health worry directly and indirectly predicted anxiety and depression via dysfunctional beliefs. In contrast, work distress only indirectly predicted both outcomes. In a longer-term model (Wave 2-Wave 3), health worry had direct and indirect effects on downstream anxiety but not depression. Pandemic work distress had no effect on depression or dysfunctional beliefs; however, it was associated with less anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Although health worry and work distress predicted later symptoms of anxiety and depression, they appeared to operate through different pathways. These findings provide guidance for the development of more effective interventions to reduce the impact of pandemics.