Anxiety and coping during COVID-19. Investigation of anxiety management types in a German and Polish sample

Sebastian Mueller-Haugk; Ilona Bidzan-Bluma; Monika Bidzan-Wiącek; Darshika Thejani Bulathwatta; Marcus Stueck

doi:10.5114/hpr/171884

Anxiety and coping during COVID-19. Investigation of anxiety management types in a German and Polish sample

Health Psychol Rep. 2023 Oct 30;11(4):282-294. doi: 10.5114/hpr/171884. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Sebastian Mueller-Haugk^{1

2}, Ilona Bidzan-Bluma^{2

3}, Monika Bidzan-Wiącek⁴, Darshika Thejani Bulathwatta^{3

5}, Marcus Stueck¹

Affiliations

¹ International Biocentric Research Academy, Leipzig, Germany.
² Department of Psychology, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdansk, Poland.
³ Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
⁴ Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
⁵ Department of Psychology and Counseling, Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Background: The study aimed to assess the differences in anxiety management types between German and Polish samples. The research was conducted in the context of health-related variables and anxiety management types during the period of March to April 2020. The research project was approved by the Ethical Committee at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Gdansk, Poland.

Participants and procedure: German Sample: Consisted of 323 subjects with an average age of 46 years. 73% were females, and 26% were males. Polish Sample: Included 100 subjects with an average age of 42 years. 73% were females, and 27% were males. The study collected data on various health-related variables and anxiety management types using specific measurement procedures.

Results: There were significant differences in the frequency distribution of anxiety management types between the Polish and German samples (p < .001). In the Polish sample, 60% showed negative anxiety management types (Sensitizer, Repressor, Highly anxious), compared to the German sample with 52%. 40% of the Polish and 48% of the German sample showed positive expressions. There were stronger significant differences in both samples regarding health-related variables, with the Polish sample being at a disadvantage.

Conclusions: The study provides a comprehensive insight into the anxiety management types between German and Polish samples, revealing distinct differences in their responses. The Polish sample exhibited a higher prevalence of negative anxiety management types compared to the German sample. These disparities can be attributed to a myriad of factors, including historical traumas, transgenerational experiences, and the influence of dominant religions in each country. The findings underscore the importance of considering cultural, historical, and religious contexts when assessing and addressing mental health and coping mechanisms across different populations. Further research with larger samples and diverse groups could offer a more nuanced understanding of these patterns and their underlying causes.

Keywords: COVID-19; anxiety; biocentric health theory; coping; psychological health.