Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of fear of coronavirus disease 2019 scale

BackgroundThe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has infected over one million individuals with almost 50,000 deaths worldwide. COVID-19 is currently a global health threat and a public health emergency. Therefore, accurate and up-to-date information regarding prevention and control methods is essential.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to assess the effects of fear and knowledge of COVID-19 on preventive practices among pregnant women who attend antenatal care in northwest Ethiopia, 2020.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted between July and August 2020. The systematic random sampling technique was used to select 422 participants. Data collected by a face to face interview on pretested and structured questions were entered using Epi-Info version 7 and it was analyzed using SPSS version 22 software. The bivariate and multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess factors associated with COVID-19 preventive practices. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine the association between covariates and the outcome variable. The p-value less than 0.05 was considered statically significant.ResultsAccording to this study, good preventive practice of COVID-19 among pregnant women was found to be (47.4%). Fear of COVID-19 was (50.9%). The majority (55.0%) of the respondents had good knowledge. Fear [AOR: 2.485, 95% CI: (1.664–3.711)] and having good knowledge [AOR: 2.308, 95% CI: (1.541–3.457)] were significantly associated with good prevention practices among the women.Conclusion and RecommendationOnly half of the pregnant women had good preventive practice. The findings suggest that healthcare bodies should consider these findings to develop strategies for preventive practice against COVID-19.

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted global mental health, especially in young adults. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the psychological impact COVID-19 had on mental health (i.e., PTSD, anxiety, fear) in young adults ages 18 to 28 and demographic differences in this population. METHODS Data were collected between September 2020 and January 2021 through an online survey. The survey used various questionnaires to collect information that included demographics, COVID-19-related questions (quarantine status, hospitalization history, diagnosis), depression (the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)), anxiety (the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7)), stress from the pandemic (Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R)), and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). 183 responses were validated by inclusion/exclusion criteria. All statistical analyses were set at alpha=0.05. RESULTS Over 70% of participants (n=129) had at least mild anxiety, nearly 80% of participants (n=136) had at least mild depression, almost 40% (n=61) met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the pandemic, and nearly 50% (n=88) had a high level of fear of COVID-19. Females had higher anxiety scores (t(173)=-3.352, p<.001), depression (t(166)=-3.310, p=.001), and trauma from COVID-19 ((t(151)=-2.004, p=.047) compared to males. Those who identified Hispanic/Latino/a/x had higher depression (F(2,156)=7.761, p<.001) and IES-R scores (F(2,143)=3.999, p=.020). We found that age in 2020 was associated with IES-R total scores F(1,154)=4.230, p=0.041, R2=0.027, adjusted R2=0.2. Those who were mandated a quarantine had lower anxiety (F(2,175)=3.442, p=.034) and depression (F(2,170)=3.092, p=.048) scores than those not mandated. Those who had someone close to them mandated a quarantine had lower anxiety (t(162.184)=2.705, p=.008) and IES-R scores (t(149)=2.169; p=.032) than those not mandated. Those who had someone close to them hospitalized due to a COVID-19 infection had lower anxiety scores (t(127)=2.855, p=.005), depression scores (t(123)=3.111, p=.002), and IES-R scores (t(152)=-1.975, p=.050) than those who did not have someone close to them hospitalized. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we found significant mental health findings with various demographic differences that need further investigation and consideration. Furthermore, we found evidence suggesting the impact of an individual’s social circle on a person’s health during the pandemic. We recommend continued efforts to identify risk factors in vulnerable populations from the pandemic, especially in mental health, and significant public health measures to protect these populations in the future.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has brought gross changes to the community and many studies revealed that stress and anxiety have increased during the pandemic.1, 2 The new coronavirus has been shown in conjunctival samples, however, ocular transmission has not yet been clearly shown in studies.6, 7 Apart from viral load in secretions, the ophthalmological examination itself poses a high risk because of close contact with the patient and that may lead to fear of being infected and anxiety. Therefore, we aimed to determine the fear of COVID-19 and anxiety levels of patients admitted to an ophthalmology outpatient clinic. We recruited 223 patients in Dicle University Ophthalmology outpatient clinics from 15 July 2020 to 15 September 2020. Data were collected for sociodemographic features, fear of COVID-19, and information about following the safety measures. Patients were evaluated using Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A).8 Data were analysed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc version 22.0 (Chicago, IL, USA) package software. Of the participants, 101 were female, and 122 were male. 81.6% of the patients felt fear of COVID-19 at various degrees when they visited the hospital. Among the questions related to the fear of COVID-19, the highest rate was found in the fear of being infected, followed by the fear of spreading the virus to others. Fifty-eight per cent of the patients had postponed hospital admission as a result of the pandemic. The total mean score in the HAM-A was 9.28 ± 8.717, and 51.6% of the patients scored >6, which indicates clinical significance. Women and single participants had significantly higher anxiety than men and married/civil partnership respectively. Students also had higher anxiety compared with other employment groups. No difference was shown in HAM-A scores between the patients who postponed their admission because of the coronavirus and those who did not (Table 1). However, the degree of their fear of COVID-19 when visiting the hospital, was significantly higher in the group who postponed their admission (P < .01, Mann–Whitney test). Age, education and fear of COVID-19 when visiting the hospital significantly correlated with HAM-A scores (P < .01). HAM-A Mean ±SD Our study revealed that anxiety was high among the patients who visited our ophthalmology outpatient department. More than half of the participants had clinically significant anxiety and many patients felt fear of COVID-19 when they visited the hospital. Özdin and Özdin found that 45.1% of the participants scored higher than the cut-off point for anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and anxiety levels were significantly higher among female participants, which are similar to our result.9 Our study showed slightly higher anxiety levels compared with previous studies which reported anxiety rates from 6.33% to 50.9%.1 We can suggest that visiting an eye clinic might be related to high levels of anxiety in these patients as anxiety was significantly related to the fear of COVID-19 in the hospital and the postponement of hospital admission. However, it is still unclear whether eye examination itself affects anxiety. Because no difference was found in anxiety between those who believed that the coronavirus could be transmitted via eyes and those who did not. Anxiety scores were significantly high among those who had fear of COVID-19 in the hospital and those who postponed hospital visits. The degree of fear was positively correlated with the anxiety scores. Similar to our study, many studies demonstrated that fear of the pandemic is associated with delayed access to health services10 and hospital admissions even for emergency cases have been decreased.3-5 Our findings support that coronavirus fear and anxiety play a role in avoiding hospital admissions as it shows that the degree of fear of COVID-19 was higher in those who delayed their hospital visit and it was positively correlated with anxiety levels. This study is the first to investigate fear and anxiety in an eye clinic during the COVID-19 outbreak to the best of our knowledge. Apart from previous ones supporting the increased anxiety levels in the pandemic, it highlights that anxiety may have caused a problem in the proper access to health services.

Engaging in social activities is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle for community-dwelling older adults. Critically, as with past disasters, there is concern about the effects of long-term activity restrictions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on health of older adults. However, the precise associations between fear of COVID-19, lifestyle satisfaction, leisure activities, and psychological distress are unclear. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively determine the associations between fear of COVID-19, lifestyle satisfaction, leisure engagement, and psychological distress among community-dwelling older adults in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire survey administered by mail was conducted from October 1 to October 15, 2021. The questionnaire included the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Lifestyle Satisfaction Scale, the Leisure Activity Scale for Contemporary Older Adults, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6. Based on previous studies, we developed a hypothetical model for the association between fear of COVID-19, lifestyle satisfaction, leisure engagement, and psychological distress and performed structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between these variables. Participants included 301 Japanese citizens (23.6% male, 76.4% female), with a mean age of 76.7 ± 4.58 years. Goodness-of-fit from structural equation modeling was generally good. Analysis of standardized coefficients revealed a significant positive relationship between fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress (β = 0.33, p < 0.001) and lifestyle satisfaction and leisure activities (β = 0.35, p < 0.001). We further observed a significant negative relationship between fear of COVID-19 and lifestyle satisfaction (β = -0.23, p < 0.001) and between leisure activities and psychological distress (β = -0.33, p < 0.001). Fear of COVID-19 is significantly associated with psychological distress, both directly and via its effects on lifestyle satisfaction and leisure activities. That is, not only did fear of COVID-19 directly impact psychological distress of participants, it also affected psychological distress through lifestyle disruption and leisure restriction. This results may be used to better understand how a national emergency that substantially restricts daily life, such as COVID-19 or an earthquake disaster, can affect the psychological health and wellbeing of older, community-dwelling adults.

BackgroundThe emergency of Omicron variants, spreading in China and worldwide, has sparked a new wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The high infectivity and persistence of the pandemic may trigger some degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for nursing students experiencing indirect trauma exposure to the epidemic, which hinders the role transition from students to qualified nurses and exacerbates the health workforce shortage. Thus, it’s well worth an exploration to understand PTSD and its underlying mechanism. Specifically, PTSD, social support, resilience, and fear of COVID-19 were selected after widely literature review. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support and PTSD among nursing students during COVID-19, to address the mediating role of resilience and fear of COVID-19 between social support and PTSD, and to provide practical guidance for nursing students’ psychological intervention.MethodsFrom April 26 to April 30, 2022, 966 nursing students from Wannan Medical College were selected by the multistage sampling method to fill the Primary Care PTSD Screen for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), Brief Resilience Scale, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Oslo 3 Items Social Support Scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, spearman’s correlation analysis, regression analysis, and path analysis.Results15.42% of nursing students had PTSD. There were significant correlations between social support, resilience, fear of COVID-19, and PTSD (r =-0.291 ~ 0.353, P <0.001). Social support had a direct negative effect on PTSD (β =-0.216; 95% confidence interval, CI: -0.309~-0.117), accounting for 72.48% of the total effect. Analysis of mediating effects revealed that social support influenced PTSD through three indirect pathways: the mediated effect of resilience was statistically significant (β =-0.053; 95% CI: -0.077~-0.031), accounting for 17.79% of the total effect; the mediated effect of fear of COVID-19 was statistically significant (β =-0.016; 95% CI: -0.031~-0.003), accounting for 5.37% of the total effect; the chain mediating effect of resilience and fear of COVID-19 was statistically significant (β =-0.013; 95% CI: -0.022~-0.006), accounting for 4.36% of the total effect.ConclusionThe social support of nursing students not only directly affects PTSD, but also indirectly affects PTSD through the separate and chain mediating effect of resilience and fear of COVID-19. The compound strategies targeted at boosting perceived social support, fostering resilience, and controlling fear of COVID-19 are warranted for reducing PTSD.

Excessive fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in dental students could cause mood disorders, especially if there are factors in the environment that generate feelings of anxiety or uncertainty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fear of COVID-19 and its association with depression, anxiety, and stress in Peruvian dental students according to their sociodemographic factors. This analytical, observational, and cross-sectional study was conducted in 398 dental students of a public university in the Peruvian capital during April 2021 to July 2021. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 items was used to diagnose depression, anxiety, and stress. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used to detect fear of COVID-19. The Pearson's chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. In addition, a logit model using odds ratio (OR) was performed to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress of students with the associated factors: fear of COVID-19 and 12 sociodemographic variables (gender, age group, marital status, year of study, origin, companion, living with vulnerable people, history of mental illness, history of COVID-19, loss of close relatives due to COVID-19, occupation, and area of residence). A significance level of P < .05 was considered. In addition, predictive models were developed for the variables depression, anxiety, and stress, considering all possible significant causes. The prevalence of fear of COVID-19, depression, anxiety, and stress was 19.6%, 36.2%, 40.7%, and 19.6%, respectively. According to the adjusted logit model, students who had fear of COVID-19 had OR = 2.74 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62-4.64), OR = 5.59 (95% CI: 3.14-9.97), and OR = 3.31 (95% CI: 1.88-5.83) for developing depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. In addition, those who reported history of mental illness were four times more likely to develop depression (OR = 4.02, 95% CI: 1.96-8.25) and anxiety (OR = 4.50, 95% CI: 2.06-9.82), whereas those living with people vulnerable to COVID-19 were twice as likely to develop stress (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.16-3.66). The highest prevalence of mood disorders among dental students was anxiety. In addition, those who were afraid of COVID-19 had three times the probability of developing depression and stress, and five times the probability of developing anxiety. On the other hand, the most influential factor in the development of depression and anxiety was history of mental illness, whereas the factor of living with vulnerable people was the most influential factor in the development of stress.

One of the most efficient methods to control the high infection rate of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is to have a high coverage of COVID-19 vaccination worldwide. Therefore, it is important to understand individuals’ intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated. The present study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain the intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated among a representative sample in Qazvin, Iran. The TPB uses psychological constructs of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control to explain an individual’s intention to perform a behavior. Fear and perceived infectability were additionally incorporated into the TPB to explain the intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated. Utilizing multistage stratified cluster sampling, 10,843 participants (4092 males; 37.7%) with a mean age of 35.54 years (SD = 12.00) completed a survey. The survey assessed TPB constructs (including attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention related to COVID-19 vaccination) together with fear of COVID-19 and perceived COVID-19 infectability. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine whether fear of COVID-19, perceived infectability, and the TPB constructs explained individuals’ intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated. The SEM demonstrated satisfactory fit (comparative fit index = 0.970; Tucker-Lewis index = 0.962; root mean square error of approximation = 0.040; standardized root mean square residual = 0.050). Moreover, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, attitude, and perceived COVID-19 infectability significantly explained individuals’ intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated. Perceived COVID-19 infectability and TPB constructs were all significant mediators in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated. Incorporating fear of COVID-19 and perceived COVID-19 infectability effectively into the TPB explained Iranians’ intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated. Therefore, Iranians who have a strong belief in Muslim religion may improve their intention to get COVID-19 vaccinated via these constructs.

BackgroundHigh levels of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits are associated with various outcomes, including depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and low self-esteem. Additionally, individuals with high levels of ADHD traits are reported to be more adversely affected by fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The current study aimed to examine whether the association between ADHD traits and outcomes was partially mediated by fear of COVID-19 using mediation analysis.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of university students in medical-related faculties (n = 1,166). ADHD traits, fear of COVID-19, depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and self-esteem were assessed using the adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, K6 Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, respectively. We used linear regression analysis and the Paramed command in Stata to analyze whether fear of COVID-19 mediated the association between ADHD traits and outcomes.ResultsADHD traits were significantly associated with outcomes. Regarding the impact of fear of COVID-19, the results revealed a significant association between ADHD traits and fear of COVID-19, and between fear of COVID-19 and outcomes. The results of the mediation analyses showed that the association between ADHD traits and outcomes was partially mediated by the fear of COVID-19 (depressive symptoms: direct effect B = 1.029, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.878, 1.181, indirect effect B = 0.021, 95% CI 0.002, 0.040; functional impairment: direct effect B = 0.786, 95% CI 0.593, 0.979, indirect effect B = 0.033, 95% CI 0.005, 0.060; self-esteem: direct effect B = −1.052, 95% CI −1.226, −0.878, indirect effect B = −0.024, 95% CI −0.046, −0.002).ConclusionsDeveloping preventive measures against the adverse impacts of pandemics like COVID-19 will be particularly important for individuals with high levels of ADHD traits in future.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.24-00230.

This study investigated work impairment and its associated factors among geriatricians during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This cross-sectional study was carried out using an anonymous online survey questionnaire administered to members of the Japanese Geriatric Society between October and December 2022. The questionnaire included questions regarding psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale) and work impairment (Work Functioning Impairment Scale). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine the factors associated with work impairment. Causal mediation analyses were performed to delineate the relationship between work impairment, psychological distress and fear of COVID-19. The analytic sample included 386 geriatricians, and work impairment was observed in 24.8% of them. Work impairment was associated with age, prefecture where the institution was located and fear of COVID-19. Mediation analysis showed that the effect of fear of COVID-19 on work impairment was almost completely mediated by psychological distress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, work impairment was commonly observed among geriatricians. We found that fear of COVID-19 might cause work impairment; however, this effect was exerted entirely through psychological distress. This implies that interventions to prevent or reduce work impairment among doctors should mainly target psychological distress; however, the fear of COVID-19, if it causes psychological distress, should also be addressed. Managers of hospitals and long-term care facilities must take steps to protect healthcare workers' mental well-being and maintain work productivity. Therefore, understanding the factors related to work impairment might help them devise effective measures. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 215-220.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate barriers to the accessibility of emergency pediatric dental care services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic from the viewpoint of parents in Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted on a purposive sample of parents seeking emergency dental care for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The participants were asked, "Were there any barriers encountered when seeking emergency dental care for your child during the COVID-19 pandemic?". If any barrier was faced, the parents were asked to explain about it. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The thematic content analysis of the transcripts began after the first interview, and the interviews and analysis process continued until data saturation was achieved. Results: In total, 26 parents were interviewed. The thematic content analysis of the transcripts led to the recognition of three main categories of barriers: "fear of COVID-19", "financial constraints", and "dentists' less occupational activity". "fear of COVID-19" had two subcategories: "fear of contracting COVID-19" and "fear of transmitting COVID-19 to others". "financial constraints" also had two subcategories: "increased costs" and "decreased income". Conclusion: From the viewpoint of parents seeking emergency dental care for their children in Mashhad, Iran, there were various barriers to the accessibility of emergency pediatric dental care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The barriers were not limited to the fear of COVID-19 and were partly outside the control of dentists and parents.

Importance:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have a negative impact on mental health of the population, leading to higher suicide rates, in many countries. However, little is known about risk factors associated with worsened mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.Objective:To investigate the factors associated with serious psychological distress (SPD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.Design, Setting, and Participants:A cross-sectional study using a large-scale internet survey conducted between August 25 and September 30, 2020, in Japan.Exposures:Demographics (age, gender, marital status, family composition, and caregiving burden), socio-economic status (income level, employment type, educational attainment), the experience of domestic violence (DV), the state of emergency, fear of COVID-19, and stigma related to COVID-19.Main Outcomes and Measures:Prevalence of SPD, defined as Kessler 6 scale score ≥13.Results:Among 25,482 individuals included in this study, 2,556 (10%) met the criteria of SPD. Overall, women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.59; 95%CI, 1.17–2.16; P=0.003), ages 15–29 (aOR compared with ages 45–59, 2.35; 95%CI, 1.64–3.38; P<0.001), low income (aOR compared with intermediate income, 1.70; 95%CI, 1.16–2.49; P=0.007), providing caregiving to family members (aOR, 5.48; 95%CI, 3.51–8.56; P<0.001), experiencing DV (aOR, 5.72; 95%CI, 3.81–8.59; P<0.001), and fear of COVID-19 (aOR, 1.96; 95%CI, 1.55–2.48; P<0.001) were associated with a higher rate of SPD. Among women aged 15–29 years, who experienced the highest rate of SPD, caregiving, DV, fear of COVID-19, and COVID-19-related stigma were associated with a higher rate of SPD; whereas economic situation (income level and employment type) and social isolation (marital status) were not associated with the prevalence of SPD.Conclusions and Relevance:Economic situation, caregiving burden, DV, and fear of COVID-19 were independently associated with SPD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among young women—who have a higher risk of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan—similar factors, except economic situation, were associated with a higher rate of SPD. Targeted interventions based on age and gender may be more effective in mitigating the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s mental health.

IntroductionDue to the serious situation of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide, many countries have implemented policies to minimize the spread of COVID-19 infection. However, some of these policies prevent people from physical contact. Consequently, many individuals may rely on social media to obtain information concerning COVID-19. Unfortunately, social media use (especially problematic social media use) may give rise to psychological distress. Therefore, this study thus examined potential psychopathology to explain the association between problematic social media use, psychological distress, and insomnia. MethodsUtilizing an online survey, a sample of Iranian young adults (n = 1078 with 628 males; mean age = 26.24 years [SD ± 7.41]) completed questions and psychometric scales concerning psychological distress, insomnia, problematic social media use, fear of COVID-19, and COVID-19 misunderstanding. ResultsProblematic social media use was significantly associated with psychological distress both directly and indirectly. The indirect effects were through fear of COVID-19 (unstandardized coefficient [B] = 0.177; Bootstrapping SE = 0.026) and COVID-19 misunderstanding (B = 0.060; Bootstrapping SE = 0.014). Problematic social media use was significantly associated with insomnia both directly and indirectly. The indirect effect was through fear of COVID-19 (B = 0.062; Bootstrapping SE = 0.019) but not COVID-19 misunderstanding (B = 0.012; Bootstrapping SE = 0.014). Discussion/conclusionDue to the pressure of the COVID-19 outbreak, individuals are highly likely to develop psychological distress and insomnia. Apart from developing appropriate health policies to minimize the spread of COVID-19 infection, healthcare providers should design appropriate online campaigns to eliminate people's fear of COVID-19 and to diminish misunderstanding concerning COVID-19.

Background: Occupational burnout among nurses is one of the major factors which affect the quality of nursing care. Assessing the relationship between burnout and its associated factors is one of the most basic things that should be done so that later, actions can be taken to reduce burnout. Fear of COVID-19 is one of the factors that can increase the burnout of nurses during the Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic. Aim: To investigate the relationship between job burnout and fear of COVID-19 among ICU and CCU nurses. Methods: The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) were distributed to ICU and CCU nurses (n = 170) at Shahid Madani Cardiac Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, and the correlation between job burnout and fear of COVID-19 was calculated. Results: The results show that the level of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment among participants of this study is average, and depersonalization is at a low level. Also, the level of fear of coronavirus is below average among the respondents. The research showed that emotional exhaustion and fear of COVID-19 were positively correlated (p &lt; 0.05), but there was not any significant correlation between depersonalization and fear of Coronavirus; as the relationship between reduced personal accomplishment and fear of COVID-19. In addition, there were significant correlations between age and reduced personal accomplishment, as well as marital status and reduced personal accomplishment (p &lt; 0.05). On the other hand, the results showed that there were not any significant correlations between gender and burnout dimensions, nor between educational degree and burnout dimensions. Conclusion: As job burnout reduces the quality of nursing care, managers must take strategies that reduce job burnout. One of the strategies that they can take is to reduce the fear of COVID-19 by taking wise strategies.

Background and Objectives: A significant increase in mental problems among students have been reported during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and fear of COVID-19 and the relationships between them among college students, approximately two years after the onset of the pandemic in Iran. Methods: In this descriptive study, 148 students were recruited from the University of Bojnord using a convenience sampling method. The depression, anxiety stress scale (DASS) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and Pearson correlation test were used to analyze the data. Results: The results show that 15.5% of students had depression, 12.8% had anxiety, and 14.2% had stress and fear of COVID-19 symptoms. The mean score of DASS in this study was not significantly different from the scores reported in the beginning of pandemic. The fear of COVID-19 had no significant relationship with depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion: The levels of depression, anxiety and stress two years after the COVID-19 pandemic do not differ from their levels at the beginning of the pandemic among college students, but the fear of COVID-19 level is significantly lower. Acceleration of the vaccination and the increase of awareness about the disease might be reasons for improvement in the psychological status of students.

To assess whether fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with depression, anxiety, and psychosis and to evaluate if these variables are correlated with the interaction between spirituality and fear of COVID-19. Between September and November 2020, this cross-sectional study enrolled 118 chronic schizophrenia patients. The interview with patients included Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Lebanese Anxiety Scale-10, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being-12. The results were analyzed by using linear regressions (Enter method), with anxiety, depression, total PANSS score, positive PANSS, negative PANSS, and general psychopathology PANSS subscales as dependent variables. Spirituality, fear of COVID-19, and the interaction of spirituality with fear of COVID-19 were independents variables. Fear of COVID-19 was positively correlated with increased total PANSS scores (Beta=0.90, P=0.030). Higher spirituality was significantly associated with lower anxiety (Beta=-0.14, P=0.009), lower depression (Beta=-0.21, P=0.001), lower total PANSS score (Beta=-0.90, P=0.004), lower negative PANSS score (Beta=-0.23, P=0.009), and lower general psychopathology PANSS score (Beta=-0.61, P=0.001). In patients with high fear of COVID-19, having low spirituality was significantly associated with higher anxiety, depression, and psychotic symptoms. This study suggests a positive correlation between fear of COVID-19 and higher psychosis among inpatients with schizophrenia. The interaction of spirituality with fear of COVID-19 was correlated with reduced anxiety, depression, and psychosis.