Relationship between attitudes toward COVID-19 infection, depression and anxiety: a cross-sectional survey in Japan

Megumi Hazumi; Emi Okazaki; Kentaro Usuda; Mayumi Kataoka; Daisuke Nishi

doi:10.1186/s12888-022-04474-1

Relationship between attitudes toward COVID-19 infection, depression and anxiety: a cross-sectional survey in Japan

BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Dec 19;22(1):798. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-04474-1.

Authors

Megumi Hazumi^{1

2}, Emi Okazaki¹, Kentaro Usuda¹, Mayumi Kataoka^{1

3}, Daisuke Nishi^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
² Department of Sleep-Wake Disorder, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ Department of Public Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan. d-nishi@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
⁵ Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. d-nishi@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.

Abstract

Background: Although negative attitudes are known to develop with experiences of COVID-19 infection, it remains unclear whether such attitudes contribute to depression and anxiety as sequelae of COVID-19. We aimed to investigate the relationships between attitude towards COVID-19 infection and post-COVID-19 depression and anxiety.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of COVID-19 recovered patients was conducted from July to September 2021 in Japan. Outcome variables, depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7); scores of 10 and above were identified as having symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. Exposure variables were whether participants were experiencing the following attitude strongly: threat to life due to COVID-19 infection, helplessness regarding COVID-19 infection, blaming a third party who did not restrain from going outside, blaming themselves for their COVID-19 infection, worry about spreading the infection to others, and self-stigma (Self-Stigma Scale-Short). Modified Poisson regression analyses were performed to analyze the findings.

Results: A total of 6016 responses were included in the analyses. The proportion of depression was 19.88%, and anxiety was 11.47%. The threat of life due to COVID-19 infection, helplessness regarding COVID-19 infection, blaming oneself for their COVID-19 infection, and self-stigma were significantly associated with depression and anxiety after adjusting covariates. Blaming the third party who did not restrain from going outside was associated with anxiety. There was no association between the worry about spreading infection to others and depression or anxiety.

Conclusion: Negative attitudes, including self-stigma with the experience of COVID-19 infection, were related to depression and anxiety. Further studies confirming whether countermeasures for preventing or decreasing the negative attitude towards COVID-19 infection mitigate these symptoms are needed.

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Mental health; Psychological difficulties; Sequelae of COVID-19.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anxiety / diagnosis
Anxiety Disorders
COVID-19*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression / diagnosis
Humans
Japan

Grants and funding

1-6/Intramural Research Grant for Neuro-logical and Psychiatric Disorders of NCNP