Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among adults in India: A longitudinal study

Abstract

A longitudinal follow-up design was used to study the psychological distress and coping among 168 individuals immediately after the national lockdown and after 6 months of the pandemic. Psychological distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The coping strategies used were measured by the Brief-COPE, and Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12) was employed to measure response to uncertainty. On follow-up, the prevalence rates for severe/very severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress had increased substantially from time 1 to time 2. The stepwise multivariate regression analyses revealed that the change in the three DASS-21 scores over time was primarily predicted by intolerance of uncertainty as measured by the IUS-12 and dysfunctional style as assessed by the coping Brief-COPE. There is a need to implement public health policies that promote psychological resilience among high-risk groups.