Cited by 673COVID-19 and Mental HealthAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

COVID stress syndrome: Concept, structure, and correlates

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Taylor, Steven, Landry, Caeleigh A., Paluszek, Michelle M., Fergus, Thomas A., McKay, Dean, Asmundson, Gordon J. G.·2020·Depression and Anxiety

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Research shows that the COVID Stress Scales have a robust multifactorial structure, representing five correlated facets of COVID-19-related distress: (a) Fear of the dangerousness of COVID-19, which includes fear of coming into contact with fomites potentially contaminated with SARSCoV2, (b) worry about socioeconomic costs of COVID-19 (e.g., worry about personal finances and disruption in the supply chain), (c) xenophobic fears that foreigners are spreading SARSCoV2, (d) traumatic stress symptoms associated with direct or vicarious traumatic exposure to COVID-19 (nightmares, intrusive thoughts, or images related to COVID-19), and (e) COVID-19-related compulsive checking and reassurance seeking. These factors cohere to form a COVID stress syndrome, which we sought to further delineate in the present study. METHODS: A population-representative sample of 6,854 American and Canadian adults completed a self-report survey comprising questions about current mental health and COVID-19-related experiences, distress, and coping. RESULTS: Network analysis revealed that worry about the dangerousness of COVID-19 is the central feature of the syndrome. Latent class analysis indicated that the syndrome is quasi-dimensional, comprising five classes differing in syndrome severity. Sixteen percent of participants were in the most severe class and possibly needing mental health services. Syndrome severity was correlated with preexisting psychopathology and with excessive COVID-19-related avoidance, panic buying, and coping difficulties during self-isolation. CONCLUSION: The findings provide new information about the structure and correlates of COVID stress syndrome. Further research is needed to determine whether the syndrome will abate once the pandemic has passed or whether, for some individuals, it becomes a chronic condition.

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  • The outbreak of COVID-19 was a catalyst for anxiety and stress, including worry about the self, others, and the economy.

    “For many, the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was a catalyst for anxiety and stress, including worry about the self, others, and the economy (Saeed et al., 2022; Taylor et al., 2020; Vinkers et al., 2020).”

    From Mindfulness Effects on Anxiety: Disentangling the Role of Decentering and Treatment Expectations (2024) · cites this paper as Taylor et al., 2020

    The Introduction describes widespread COVID-19-related distress, and the Abstract’s Background identifies fear of infection and worry about socioeconomic costs, including personal finances. The passages do not identify worry about others’ well-being as a component; their references to others concern fears that foreigners might spread the virus and distress from vicarious exposure. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic provided new incentives for a reconceptualization of the notion of the traumatic stressor, as its negative impact relates to the future rather than the past and to indirect as much as to direct exposure.

    “The COVID-19 pandemic provided new incentives for a reconceptualization of the very notion of the traumatic stressor (as captured, eg, in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition), as its negative impact relates to the future rather than the past and to indirect as much as to direct exposure [62,63].”

    From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [62]

    The Introduction describes traumatic stress symptoms associated with direct or vicarious exposure to COVID-19, and the Discussion links distress to fears about infection and its consequences. But the paper does not argue that the pandemic requires reconceptualizing the DSM-5 notion of a traumatic stressor or that trauma's impact concerns the future rather than the past. The Discussion says the syndrome’s fit with DSM-5 disorders was not assessed. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analyses for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
  2. Taylor, S. (2017). Clinician's guide to PTSD (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford.

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Authors
Taylor, S., Landry, C. A., Paluszek, M. M., Fergus, T. A., McKay, D., & Asmundson, G. J. G.
Affiliations
  • University of British Columbia (CA)
  • University of Regina (CA)
  • Baylor University (US)
  • Fordham University (US)
Corresponding author
Taylor, Steven
Venue
Depression and Anxiety
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2020-07-05
Volume
37
Issue
8
Pages
706-714
ISSN
  • 1091-4269 (ISSN-L)
  • 1520-6394
OpenAlex
W3039044508
Cited by
673
References
20
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 73 · 2023: 143 · 2022: 175 · 2021: 192 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1
FWCI
55.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Depression and Anxiety (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Fordham Research Commons (Fordham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (439751)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
fear of COVID-19, xenophobia, traumatic stress, compulsive checking, reassurance seeking, panic buying, mental health, latent class structure, network analysis
MeSH terms
COVID-19, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Anxiety, Mental Disorders, Canada, Fear, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Mental Health Services, Pneumonia, Viral, Stress, Psychological, United States, Coronavirus Infections, Pandemics

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