COVID-19-related anxiety: the role of intolerance to uncertainty and resilience

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, spreading stress and fear around the world. The present study aims to elucidate on the psychological factors associated with perceived stress and anxiety in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, by examining the role of intolerance of uncertainty and psychological resilience. The study used baseline data collected in April-May of 2020 via an online survey distributed via social media to adults who resided in Greece. The outcome variable was the Covid-19 Anxiety Scale (CAS). Predictor variables were Intolerance to Uncertainty (IU) and psychological resilience measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). A total of 425 participants (67.2% females) with a mean age of 38.9 years participated in the survey. Women scored significantly higher than men in CAS. The results of hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that IU and resilience, independently of one another, were significantly associated with COVID-19 anxiety, explaining 16.5% of the variance. IU appears to be a risk factor above and beyond the protective mechanism of psychological resilience. Results underscore the importance of developing preventive strategies and interventions specifically targeting IU to mitigate the potential adverse psychological effects of the pandemic.

Keywords

• adults
• COVID-19-related anxiety
• intolerance of uncertainty
• resilience