Background This paper evaluates the evolution of health-related and economic-related anxiety surrounding COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic. Methods We merged two waves of data from a national survey administered first in late March 2020 (T1) and then a month later in late April/early May 2020 (T2). A moderated mediation model was estimated to predict changes in psychological distress. Results Health-related anxiety and economic-related anxiety surrounding COVID-19 both predict psychological distress. Levels of distress were significantly higher at T2 compared to T1. Over this time period, anxieties evolved away from fear of the virus itself and toward its impact on the economy. Moreover, economic-related anxiety is especially pronounced for men. Limitations Our measure of psychological distress is not a diagnostic instrument, although it meets diagnostic criteria. Moreover, the data do not necessarily provide unbiased population estimates. Conclusions The sources of psychological distress associated with COVID-19 shifted away from early anxieties of physiological infection and toward an emerging fear of joblessness stemming from the economic anxiety of the lockdown. This research suggests that employed individuals, and especially men, may be at risk of psychological distress related to economic anxiety.
Health Anxiety versus Economic Anxiety Surrounding COVID-19:An analysis of psychological distress in the early stages of the pandemic