Effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on mental health: a possible model of the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic on PTSD symptomatology COVID-19 related

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the worldwide population in the last year, affecting psychological well-being. Several studies defined that COVID-19 diagnosis, the fear of contagion, and the infection in loved ones directly affected psychological distress and PTSD symptomatology. However, no study underlined the mediation role of psychological aspects in this relation. This study aimed to assess the direct and indirect consequences of some common aspects of the COVID-19 spread on PTSD symptomatology due to the pandemic. According to this aim, we adopted a mediation analysis involving anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, general psychological well-being, and psychopathological symptomatology. Two thousand two hundred and nineteen-one respondents completed an online survey focused on the experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. Different questionnaires assessing sleep quality, anxiety, depression, psychological well-being, and general psychopathology were administered. COVID-19-PTSD was evaluated. A mediation analysis was conducted to estimate the possible direct and indirect effects of the considered variables COVID-19 related to PTSD symptoms. Statistical analysis evidenced a direct effect of the dimension ascribable to the pandemic (COVID-19 diagnosis, the fear of the contagion, and the diagnosis of COVID-19 in loved ones). Moreover, a total indirect effect of COVID-19 diagnosis and fear of contagion emerged. In particular, the fear of contagion was significantly mediated by psychological well-being, sleep disturbance, psychopathological symptomatology, and anxiety. Furthermore, the COVID-19 diagnosis was significantly mediated by general psychological well-being and psychopathological symptomatology. Although no significant general indirect effect of sleep quality was highlighted, sleep disturbance was reported as a possible mediator of the relationship between the diagnosis of COVID-19 in loved ones and PTSD symptomatology. This study confirmed the possible mediating role of some psychological aspects in the relationship between some aspects directly associated with the diffusion of the COVID-19 pandemic and the PTSD symptomatology, specifically referred to COVID-19 as a traumatic event. These findings should be adopted as a starting point for further studies aimed to develop psychological interventions to minimize the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.