Abstract
It is critical to gain an understanding of the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and the associated lockdown restrictions on the psychological, social and behavioural functioning of the general public, in order to inform public health promotion and future health service resource allocation. This cross-sectional study, completed during week 1 of lockdown in India, reports on data from 234 participants using an online survey. Data regarding health anxiety, coping mechanisms and locus of control was collected. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the relationship between locus of control, coping mechanisms, health anxiety and age. Age related differences in both locus of control and coping strategies were found. Younger people experienced more health-related anxiety and were more likely to engage with social media as a coping mechanism. Mindfulness-based strategies may reduce health anxiety by increasing tolerance of uncertainty experienced during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Highlights
The initial focus during the COVID 19 pandemic has been on its physical health sequalae and the public health interventions required to minimise transmission
This study explored the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on health anxiety, reported locus of control and the coping strategies used by adult population in India during the first week of lockdown
The data used for the analysis give a unique insight into levels of health anxiety and patterns of coping strategies in an adult Indian community sample to the COVID 19 pandemic
Summary
The initial focus during the COVID 19 pandemic has been on its physical health sequalae and the public health interventions required to minimise transmission. There is emerging literature to suggest that public health interventions such as lockdowns may add further to this dysfunction [3]. It is, critical to understand more about these impacts and the coping mechanisms being used by different groups in society. Critical to understand more about these impacts and the coping mechanisms being used by different groups in society This knowledge could be used to inform public health promotion and future health service resource allocation.
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