Health Locus of Control and Health Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19
Introduction Perceived sense of control over one’s health contributes to determining health-related behaviors and an individual’s health status. Therefore, it may enhance vulnerability to health anxiety in response to COVID-19 and influence implementation of preventive strategies and adherence to t...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-03-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823016656/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797617212153921536 |
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| author | E. R. Semenova E. Deshchenko E. Pervichko J. Konyukhovskaya |
| author_facet | E. R. Semenova E. Deshchenko E. Pervichko J. Konyukhovskaya |
| author_sort | E. R. Semenova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Perceived sense of control over one’s health contributes to determining health-related behaviors and an individual’s health status. Therefore, it may enhance vulnerability to health anxiety in response to COVID-19 and influence implementation of preventive strategies and adherence to them. Health anxiety may serve as one of the factors that increase the perception of COVID-19 as dangerous and life-threatening. We hypothesized that external health locus of control may demonstrate a connection with higher levels of health anxiety, whereas internal health locus of control may be considered a protective factor alongside some personality traits due to its role in determination of coping strategies.
Objectives
To assess health locus of control (HLC) in patients with COVID-19 and evaluate its connection with the levels of health anxiety.
Methods
The study has involved 62 participants, average age is 23,4±8,2, with 36 of them being diagnosed with COVID-19 one or more times, average age is 24,5±8,9, whereas 26 of them were healthy, average age is 21,8±7,1. The following methods were used: Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (modified for COVID-19), Perceived Stress Scale, the state scale from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Short Health Anxiety Inventory, Illness- and Treatment-Related Locus of Control Scale, HEXACO-24 Personality Inventory, Self-Government Test.
Results
COVID-19 patients differed from healthy participants by the following parameters: perceived danger of COVID-19 (31,53±9,51 vs 33,92±11,5; p>0,05); perceived stress (28±8,68 vs 26,5±7,3; p>0,05); state anxiety level (23,3±11,1 vs 25,1±12,5; p>0,05); health anxiety (14,3±6,76 vs 13,8±5,7; p>0,05); internal HLC (18,8±3,24 vs 17,8±4,67; p>0,05); external HLC (5,97±1,89 vs 5,81±1,92; p>0,05); extraversion (11,8±3,36 vs 13,10±3,71; p>0,05).
Correlation analysis has revealed mild positive correlations between health anxiety level and both external HLC (0,32; p<0,05) and chance HLC (0,25; p<0,05), mild negative correlation between health anxiety and internal HLC (-0,18; p>0,05). Analysis of COVID-19 related variables found that health anxiety levels were positively correlated with perceived danger of coronavirus disease (0,37; p<0,01), perceived stress (0,59; p<0,001) in the whole sample. Negative correlation was observed between extraversion and health anxiety (-0,49; p<0,05) in the group of COVID-19 patients.
Conclusions
The results obtained in our study demonstrate the connection of the higher levels of health anxiety in COVID-19 patients with more external orientation of HLC. The connection between extraversion and health anxiety is also observed. Our study indicates that participants diagnosed with COVID-19 one or more times tend to have higher health anxiety levels in comparison to healthy participants.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:52:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-84faf381566946ae8b847474d38b1575 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:52:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-84faf381566946ae8b847474d38b15752023-11-17T05:06:26ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852023-03-0166S788S78910.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.1665Health Locus of Control and Health Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19E. R. Semenova0E. Deshchenko1E. Pervichko2J. Konyukhovskaya3Moscow State University named after ‘M. V. Lomonosov’, Moscow, Russian FederationPsychology, Moscow State University named after ‘M. V. Lomonosov’, Moscow, Russian FederationMoscow State University named after ‘M. V. Lomonosov’, Moscow, Russian FederationMoscow State University named after ‘M. V. Lomonosov’, Moscow, Russian Federation Introduction Perceived sense of control over one’s health contributes to determining health-related behaviors and an individual’s health status. Therefore, it may enhance vulnerability to health anxiety in response to COVID-19 and influence implementation of preventive strategies and adherence to them. Health anxiety may serve as one of the factors that increase the perception of COVID-19 as dangerous and life-threatening. We hypothesized that external health locus of control may demonstrate a connection with higher levels of health anxiety, whereas internal health locus of control may be considered a protective factor alongside some personality traits due to its role in determination of coping strategies. Objectives To assess health locus of control (HLC) in patients with COVID-19 and evaluate its connection with the levels of health anxiety. Methods The study has involved 62 participants, average age is 23,4±8,2, with 36 of them being diagnosed with COVID-19 one or more times, average age is 24,5±8,9, whereas 26 of them were healthy, average age is 21,8±7,1. The following methods were used: Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (modified for COVID-19), Perceived Stress Scale, the state scale from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Short Health Anxiety Inventory, Illness- and Treatment-Related Locus of Control Scale, HEXACO-24 Personality Inventory, Self-Government Test. Results COVID-19 patients differed from healthy participants by the following parameters: perceived danger of COVID-19 (31,53±9,51 vs 33,92±11,5; p>0,05); perceived stress (28±8,68 vs 26,5±7,3; p>0,05); state anxiety level (23,3±11,1 vs 25,1±12,5; p>0,05); health anxiety (14,3±6,76 vs 13,8±5,7; p>0,05); internal HLC (18,8±3,24 vs 17,8±4,67; p>0,05); external HLC (5,97±1,89 vs 5,81±1,92; p>0,05); extraversion (11,8±3,36 vs 13,10±3,71; p>0,05). Correlation analysis has revealed mild positive correlations between health anxiety level and both external HLC (0,32; p<0,05) and chance HLC (0,25; p<0,05), mild negative correlation between health anxiety and internal HLC (-0,18; p>0,05). Analysis of COVID-19 related variables found that health anxiety levels were positively correlated with perceived danger of coronavirus disease (0,37; p<0,01), perceived stress (0,59; p<0,001) in the whole sample. Negative correlation was observed between extraversion and health anxiety (-0,49; p<0,05) in the group of COVID-19 patients. Conclusions The results obtained in our study demonstrate the connection of the higher levels of health anxiety in COVID-19 patients with more external orientation of HLC. The connection between extraversion and health anxiety is also observed. Our study indicates that participants diagnosed with COVID-19 one or more times tend to have higher health anxiety levels in comparison to healthy participants. Disclosure of Interest None Declaredhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823016656/type/journal_article |
| spellingShingle | E. R. Semenova E. Deshchenko E. Pervichko J. Konyukhovskaya Health Locus of Control and Health Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19 European Psychiatry |
| title | Health Locus of Control and Health Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19 |
| title_full | Health Locus of Control and Health Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | Health Locus of Control and Health Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Health Locus of Control and Health Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19 |
| title_short | Health Locus of Control and Health Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19 |
| title_sort | health locus of control and health anxiety in patients with covid 19 |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823016656/type/journal_article |
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