Incremental validity of coronaphobia: Coronavirus anxiety explains depression, generalized anxiety, and death anxiety. (August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Sherman A.; Jobe, Mary C.; Mathis, Amanda A.; Gibbons, Jeffrey A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of anxiety disorders. Volume 74(2020:Aug.)
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- Coronaphobia -- Coronavirus -- Anxiety -- Depression -- Death anxiety; Anxiety -- Periodicals; Anxiety Disorders -- Periodicals; Angoisse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.8522
• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102268
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-6185

Abstract

Highlights: Coronaphobia predicts depression above sociodemographics, COVID-19 factors, and vulnerability factors. Coronaphobia predicts anxiety above sociodemographics, COVID-19 factors, and vulnerability factors. Coronaphobia predicts death anxiety above sociodemographics, COVID-19 factors, and vulnerability factors. Coronaphobia is an important mental health variable to consider during the COVID-19 crisis. The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS; Lee, 2020) should be used to measure dysfunctional anxiety in adults. Abstract: The adverse psychological effects of COVID-19 have increased globally. Moreover, the psychological toll may be worsening for this health crisis due to the growing numbers of mass deaths and unemployment levels. Coronaphobia, a relatively new pandemic-related construct, has been shown to be strongly related to functional impairment and psychological distress. However, the extent to which coronaphobia is uniquely accountable for the psychological distress experienced during the COVID-19 crisis has not been systematically investigated. The current study examined this question of incremental validity using online data from 453 adult MTurk workers in the U.S. The results of a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that coronaphobia explained additional variance in depression, generalized anxiety, and death anxiety, above sociodemographics, COVID-19 factors, and the vulnerability factors of neuroticism, health anxiety, and reassurance-seeking behaviors. These findings suggest that health professionals should be aware of coronaphobia as this expression of pandemic-related stress has reliably demonstrated incremental validity in accounting for major indicators of psychological distress.