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Cited by 6COVID-19 and Mental HealthAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPsychometric Methodologies and Testing

The effects of fear of COVID-19 among Spanish healthcare professionals in three years after the pandemic onset via validation of the FCV-19S: a prospective study

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Peñacoba-Puente, Cecilia, Luque-Reca, Octavio, Griffiths, Mark D., García-Hedrera, Fernando J., Carmona-Monge, F. Javier, Gil-Almagro, Fernanda·2024·Current Psychology
DOI 10.1007/s12144-024-06113-2
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Abstract

Abstract Despite being validated in different populations to assess fear of COVID-19, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) has scatter validations in healthcare professionals, often with several limitations, especially in Spanish-speaking professionals. Our research aims to extend previous studies by: (i) using a large sample of Spanish nurses and physicians; (ii) incorporating longitudinal data; and (iii) using a covariance-based SEM methodology to test different factor structures. 686 Spanish healthcare professionals (M = 42.7 years; 80.5% women; 76.7% nurses) participated in 2021 (Time 1), of whom, 216 were reassessed one year later (Time 2). The results (S-Bχ2 = 69.134, df = 13, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.974, and SRMR ≤ 0.031) supported a two-factor structure with a factor of somatic reactions and another of emotional expressions of fear of COVID-19. The FCV-19S evidenced strong factorial measurement invariance regarding gender, professional category, age and professional experience and also showed significantly higher levels of fear of COVID-19 in women, nurses, and professionals under 40 years old. The internal consistency was high for the somatic factor (ω = 0.86; α = 0.85), the emotional factor (ω = 0.82; α = 0.82) and the overall scale (α = 0.89). The scale showed good convergent, divergent, and incremental validity with respect to psychological symptomatology, perceived health, burnout, and worry about contagion. Finally, the FCV-19S showed criterion validity regarding generalized anxiety disorder, burnout, and the risk of leaving the profession. The FCV-19S evidenced excellent psychometric properties in Spanish healthcare professionals and was predictive of different health outcomes one year after administration. Study implications and limitations are also discussed.

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  • Fear of contagion was a precipitating factor for emotional symptomatology in HCW at the onset of the pandemic.

    “fear of contagion was a precipitating factor for emotional symptomatology in HCW at the onset of the pandemic (72).”

    From Evolution of burnout syndrome in Spanish healthcare professionals during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: psychosocial variables involved (2025) · cites this paper as [72]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) says fear of contagion influenced deterioration in healthcare professionals’ health during the pandemic, and the Considerations section links fear of COVID-19 to psychological symptomatology. However, the Participants section dates the study’s first assessment to 2021, not the pandemic’s onset, and the cited findings do not establish fear of contagion as a precipitating cause of symptoms at that onset. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2014). Multi- variate data analysis (7th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
  2. ijerph18020427 · DOI
  3. Maslach, C., Jackson, S., & Leiter, M. (1997). The Maslach Burn- out Inventory Manual. In C. P. Zalaquett, & R. J. Wood (Eds.), Evaluating Stress: A Book of Resources (Vol. 3, pp. 191-218). Scarecrow Press.

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Authors
Peñacoba-Puente, C., Luque-Reca, O., Griffiths, M. D., García-Hedrera, F. J., Carmona-Monge, F. J., & Gil-Almagro, F.
Affiliations
  • Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (ES)
  • Nottingham Trent University (GB)
  • Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón (ES)
ORCID
Venue
Current Psychology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2024-05-18
Volume
43
Issue
43
Pages
33640-33657
ISSN
  • 1046-1310 (ISSN-L)
  • 1936-4733
DOI
10.1007/s12144-024-06113-2
OpenAlex
W4397043837
Cited by
6
References
78
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3
FWCI
3.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Current Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • BURJC Digital (King Juan Carlos University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Hispana (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
Keywords
fear of COVID-19, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, scale validation, psychometric properties, measurement invariance, nurses, physicians, healthcare workers, somatic reactions, burnout, generalized anxiety disorder, occupational stress, Spanish-speaking populations

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