Increased anxiety from fear of Omicron in China as compared to North America and Western Europe: A cross-sectional Kendall’s tau-b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item questionnaire
BackgroundPolicies dealing with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic vary across the globe, the different governmental responses then affect the public perception of COVID-19. Many unofficial Chinese media outlets frequently spread misinformation about COVID-19 and exaggerated reports of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.977361/full |
| _version_ | 1798028109875773440 |
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| author | Dan Shan Chang Liu Shaoyang Li Yuandian Zheng |
| author_facet | Dan Shan Chang Liu Shaoyang Li Yuandian Zheng |
| author_sort | Dan Shan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundPolicies dealing with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic vary across the globe, the different governmental responses then affect the public perception of COVID-19. Many unofficial Chinese media outlets frequently spread misinformation about COVID-19 and exaggerated reports of rare sequelae of Omicron for monetization and attention seeking, leading to panics in the Chinese public. In comparison the attitudes toward Omicron in other countries around the world, especially in North America and Western Europe have shifted to a more relaxed stance.ObjectiveThis article primarily aims to investigate the association between Chinese people’s attitudes toward the potential after-effects of Omicron and their anxiety status, as compared to these of people living in North America or Western Europe.MethodsWe conducted a questionnaire survey via the Credamo and collected valid data from 500 Chinese (not living in Shanghai), another 500 Chinese (living in Shanghai) and 500 people living in North America or Western Europe in June 2022. Kendall’s coefficient of rank correlation tau-sub-b was used to examine this association.ResultsThe results suggested that subjective attitudes of Chinese participants toward the sequelae of Omicron were positively and significantly associated with their anxiety status [i.e., the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scores] in Shanghai (China) (Tb = 0.44, p < 0.01) and other parts of China outside Shanghai (Tb = 0.37, p < 0.01). However, no such significant correlation was found in North America & Western Europe (Tb = -0.01, p > 0.05).ConclusionOur findings showed that Chinese participants who were more worried about the after-effects of Omicron had higher levels of anxiety. Although it is true that Long COVID-19 should be a concern, exaggerated media reporting can impact negatively on an individual’s mental wellbeing. Only through the dissemination of robust scientific studies, the misinformation and the fears that follow it can be put to rest. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:02:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f86f79d7db044a7eab6227058f3d9eae |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:02:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-f86f79d7db044a7eab6227058f3d9eae2022-12-22T04:07:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-08-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.977361977361Increased anxiety from fear of Omicron in China as compared to North America and Western Europe: A cross-sectional Kendall’s tau-b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item questionnaireDan Shan0Chang Liu1Shaoyang Li2Yuandian Zheng3School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandSchool of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomFaculty of Science, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaCollege of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City University, Kansas City, MO, United StatesBackgroundPolicies dealing with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic vary across the globe, the different governmental responses then affect the public perception of COVID-19. Many unofficial Chinese media outlets frequently spread misinformation about COVID-19 and exaggerated reports of rare sequelae of Omicron for monetization and attention seeking, leading to panics in the Chinese public. In comparison the attitudes toward Omicron in other countries around the world, especially in North America and Western Europe have shifted to a more relaxed stance.ObjectiveThis article primarily aims to investigate the association between Chinese people’s attitudes toward the potential after-effects of Omicron and their anxiety status, as compared to these of people living in North America or Western Europe.MethodsWe conducted a questionnaire survey via the Credamo and collected valid data from 500 Chinese (not living in Shanghai), another 500 Chinese (living in Shanghai) and 500 people living in North America or Western Europe in June 2022. Kendall’s coefficient of rank correlation tau-sub-b was used to examine this association.ResultsThe results suggested that subjective attitudes of Chinese participants toward the sequelae of Omicron were positively and significantly associated with their anxiety status [i.e., the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scores] in Shanghai (China) (Tb = 0.44, p < 0.01) and other parts of China outside Shanghai (Tb = 0.37, p < 0.01). However, no such significant correlation was found in North America & Western Europe (Tb = -0.01, p > 0.05).ConclusionOur findings showed that Chinese participants who were more worried about the after-effects of Omicron had higher levels of anxiety. Although it is true that Long COVID-19 should be a concern, exaggerated media reporting can impact negatively on an individual’s mental wellbeing. Only through the dissemination of robust scientific studies, the misinformation and the fears that follow it can be put to rest.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.977361/fullanxietyCOVID-19Omicronpandemicsequelae |
| spellingShingle | Dan Shan Chang Liu Shaoyang Li Yuandian Zheng Increased anxiety from fear of Omicron in China as compared to North America and Western Europe: A cross-sectional Kendall’s tau-b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item questionnaire Frontiers in Psychiatry anxiety COVID-19 Omicron pandemic sequelae |
| title | Increased anxiety from fear of Omicron in China as compared to North America and Western Europe: A cross-sectional Kendall’s tau-b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item questionnaire |
| title_full | Increased anxiety from fear of Omicron in China as compared to North America and Western Europe: A cross-sectional Kendall’s tau-b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item questionnaire |
| title_fullStr | Increased anxiety from fear of Omicron in China as compared to North America and Western Europe: A cross-sectional Kendall’s tau-b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item questionnaire |
| title_full_unstemmed | Increased anxiety from fear of Omicron in China as compared to North America and Western Europe: A cross-sectional Kendall’s tau-b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item questionnaire |
| title_short | Increased anxiety from fear of Omicron in China as compared to North America and Western Europe: A cross-sectional Kendall’s tau-b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item questionnaire |
| title_sort | increased anxiety from fear of omicron in china as compared to north america and western europe a cross sectional kendall s tau b analysis using the generalized anxiety disorder 7 item questionnaire |
| topic | anxiety COVID-19 Omicron pandemic sequelae |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.977361/full |
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