The Psychological Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Influence of Social Support on Psychological Distress
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Grant No. P20GM103408.
Abstract
Social support is important during times of high stress since it can be protective against some symptoms of psychological distress. Due to the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus, United States citizens have been subject to a myriad of stressors. However, there has yet to be a study which examines the possible relationship between social support and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyze whether social support during the pandemic could mediate symptoms of psychological distress within the general population. From March to May 2020, survey responses were collected from 382 individuals from across the United States. Participants responded the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS 21), Daily Social Support measure, Positive and Negative Affects Schedule (PANAS) scale and Daily Stress measure. Consistent with hypotheses, subjects who experienced larger discrepancies between the support they desired and the support they received (i.e., a large support gap) reported higher levels of depression and negative affect in reports of high and low daily stress. Those who experienced little discrepancy between the support they desired and the support they received (i.e., a small support gap) reported higher levels of positive affect in reports of high and low daily stress.
The Psychological Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Influence of Social Support on Psychological Distress
Social support is important during times of high stress since it can be protective against some symptoms of psychological distress. Due to the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus, United States citizens have been subject to a myriad of stressors. However, there has yet to be a study which examines the possible relationship between social support and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyze whether social support during the pandemic could mediate symptoms of psychological distress within the general population. From March to May 2020, survey responses were collected from 382 individuals from across the United States. Participants responded the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS 21), Daily Social Support measure, Positive and Negative Affects Schedule (PANAS) scale and Daily Stress measure. Consistent with hypotheses, subjects who experienced larger discrepancies between the support they desired and the support they received (i.e., a large support gap) reported higher levels of depression and negative affect in reports of high and low daily stress. Those who experienced little discrepancy between the support they desired and the support they received (i.e., a small support gap) reported higher levels of positive affect in reports of high and low daily stress.