fear of adverse socio-economic consequences was the second-most central feature, highlighting the importance of impacts of the pandemic on social and financial security.
traumatic stress symptoms were the third-most central feature and most strongly associated with danger and contamination fears and checking and reassurance seeking, suggesting a vicious cycle wherein these facets of the syndrome fuel each other. for example, more exposure to covid-19 news or social media may lead to greater frequency of nightmares about covid-19, which, in turn, increases fear of contamination and further fuels checking the news and social media for up-to-date information.
although less central, xenophobia affected fears of danger and contamination, socio-economic consequences and, to a lesser extent, checking and reassurance seeking, highlighting the impact of discriminatory beliefs on pandemic-related emotional responding.
substantial mental health footprint
our preliminary findings suggest the percentage of the population affected by covid stress syndrome is substantial, with the mental health footprint of covid-19 exceeding the medical footprint. although two per cent of our sample reported having had covid-19 and six per cent knew someone who had been infected, 38 per cent and 16 per cent respectively were classified as having moderate-to-severe or severe covid-19-related distress.