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Predictors of Anxiety in the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Global Perspective: Data from 23 Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Valentina N. Burkova

    (Center of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
    International Center of Anthropology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia)

  • Marina L. Butovskaya

    (Center of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
    International Center of Anthropology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia)

  • Ashley K. Randall

    (Counseling and Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Julija N. Fedenok

    (Center of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia)

  • Khodabakhsh Ahmadi

    (Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19395-5478, Iran)

  • Ahmad M. Alghraibeh

    (Department of Psychology, King Saud University, Riyadh 2458, Saudi Arabia)

  • Fathil Bakir Mutsher Allami

    (Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Misan, Amarah, Maysan 62001, Iraq)

  • Fadime Suata Alpaslan

    (Department of Anthropology, İstanbul University, İstanbul 34452, Turkey)

  • Mohammad Ahmad Abdelaziz Al-Zu’bi

    (Department of Early Childhood, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Zarqa University, Zarqa City 5468, Jordan)

  • Derya Fatma Biçer

    (Department of Business Administration, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas 58140, Turkey)

  • Hakan Cetinkaya

    (Department of Psychology, Ankara University, Ankara 06100, Turkey)

  • Oana Alexandra David

    (Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca 400015, Romania)

  • Silvia Donato

    (Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan 20123, Italy)

  • Seda Dural

    (Department of Psychology, Izmir University of Economics, İzmir 35330, Turkey)

  • Paige Erickson

    (Department of Psychology, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI 48221-3038, USA)

  • Alexey M. Ermakov

    (Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia)

  • Berna Ertuğrul

    (Department of Anthropology, İstanbul University, İstanbul 34452, Turkey)

  • Emmanuel Abiodun Fayankinnu

    (Department of Sociology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko 001, Nigeria)

  • Maryanne L. Fisher

    (Department of Psychology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada)

  • Lauren Hocker

    (Counseling and Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Ivana Hromatko

    (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Elena Kasparova

    (Department of Pedagogy and Problems of Education Development, Belarusian State University, 220030 Minsk, Belarus)

  • Alexander Kavina

    (Department of History, St John’s University of Tanzania, Dodoma 47, Tanzania)

  • Yahya M. Khatatbeh

    (Department of Psychology, Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 5701, Saudi Arabia)

  • Hareesol Khun-Inkeeree

    (School of Languages and General Education, Walailak University, Thasala District, Nakhon si Thammarat 80160, Thailand)

  • Kai M. Kline

    (Counseling and Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Fırat Koç

    (Department of Anthropology, Hitit University, Çorum 19030, Turkey)

  • Vladimir Kolodkin

    (Faculty of Media Communications and Multimediatechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia)

  • Melanie MacEacheron

    (School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Irma Rachmawati Maruf

    (Post Graduate Notary Law Program, Pasundan University, Bandung West Java 40113, Indonesia)

  • Norbert Meskó

    (Department for General and Evolutionary Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary)

  • Ruzan Mkrtchyan

    (Faculty of History, Department of Cultural Studies, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia)

  • Poppy Setiawati Nurisnaeny

    (State Intelligence College, Bogor 16001, Indonesia)

  • Oluyinka Ojedokun

    (Department of Pure & Applied Psychology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko 01, Nigeria)

  • Damilola Adebayo

    (Department of Pure & Applied Psychology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko 01, Nigeria)

  • Mohd S. B. Omar-Fauzee

    (School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia, UUM Sintok, Kedah 06010, Malaysia)

  • Barış Özener

    (Department of Anthropology, İstanbul University, İstanbul 34452, Turkey)

  • Edna Lúcia Tinoco Ponciano

    (Institute of Psychology and Center of Social Studies, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20943-000, Brazil
    Institute of Psychology and Center of Social Studies, University of Coimbra, 3004 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Muhammad Rizwan

    (Department of Psychology, University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22620, Pakistan)

  • Agnieszka Sabiniewicz

    (Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell and Taste Clinic TU Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany)

  • Victoriya I. Spodina

    (Department of History and Ethnology, Ob-Ugric Institute of Applied Researches and Development, 628011 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia)

  • Stanislava Stoyanova

    (Department of Psychology, South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, 2700 Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria)

  • Nachiketa Tripathi

    (Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781 039, India)

  • Satwik Upadhyay

    (Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781 039, India)

  • Carol Weisfeld

    (Department of Psychology, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI 48221-3038, USA)

  • Mohd Faiz Mohd Yaakob

    (School of Education and Modern Languages, University Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah 06010, Malaysia)

  • Mat Rahimi Yusof

    (School of Education and Modern Languages, University Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah 06010, Malaysia)

  • Raushaniia I. Zinurova

    (Institute of Innovation Management, Kazan National Research Technological University, 420015 Kazan, Russia)

Abstract

Prior and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have resulted in substantial changes to everyday life. The pandemic and measures of its control affect mental health negatively. Self-reported data from 15,375 participants from 23 countries were collected from May to August 2020 during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two questionnaires measuring anxiety level were used in this study—the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI). The associations between a set of social indicators on anxiety during COVID-19 (e.g., sex, age, country, live alone) were tested as well. Self-reported anxiety during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic varied across countries, with the maximum levels reported for Brazil, Canada, Italy, Iraq and the USA. Sex differences of anxiety levels during COVID-19 were also examined, and results showed women reported higher levels of anxiety compared to men. Overall, our results demonstrated that the self-reported symptoms of anxiety were higher compared to those reported in general before pandemic. We conclude that such cultural dimensions as individualism/collectivism, power distance and looseness/tightness may function as protective adaptive mechanisms against the development of anxiety disorders in a pandemic situation.

Suggested Citation

  • Valentina N. Burkova & Marina L. Butovskaya & Ashley K. Randall & Julija N. Fedenok & Khodabakhsh Ahmadi & Ahmad M. Alghraibeh & Fathil Bakir Mutsher Allami & Fadime Suata Alpaslan & Mohammad Ahmad Ab, 2021. "Predictors of Anxiety in the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Global Perspective: Data from 23 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-23, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:4017-:d:530108
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Tiberiu Constantin Ionescu & Bogdana Ioana Fetecau & Stefan Zaharia & Elma-Maria Mînecan & Catalina Tudose, 2023. "Sleepless Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Insomnia Symptoms among Professionally Active Romanians during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, January.
    2. SITI FAIRUS BINTI FUZI & Siti Ramizah Jama & Nordianah Jusoh & Siti Nursyahira Zainudin & Bushra Abdul Halim & Nurul Emyza Zahidi & Wan Hartini Wan Hassan, 2024. "Predictors of Severe Anxiety Among Bumiputera Students," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 16(1), pages 64-75.
    3. Marina L. Butovskaya & Valentina N. Burkova & Ashley K. Randall & Silvia Donato & Julija N. Fedenok & Lauren Hocker & Kai M. Kline & Khodabakhsh Ahmadi & Ahmad M. Alghraibeh & Fathil Bakir Mutsher All, 2021. "Cross-Cultural Perspectives on the Role of Empathy during COVID-19’s First Wave," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-35, July.

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