Gender Effects on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Regarding the Fear of COVID-19

Abstract

The fear of the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with negative effects on mental health. The study investigates depression, anxiety, and stress and their relationship to gender among hospitality sector employees in the USA during COVID-19. Fear has been one of the most common psychological responses in the population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to examine its relationship with depression, anxiety, and stress to combat the fear of COVID-19 between the gender. The study was conducted using an online questionnaire. A sociodemographic data form, the Fear of COVID-19 scale, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used for data collection. In total, 341 valid questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 24. The results showed that the fear of COVID-19 positively and significantly impacted stress (Coeff =.4992, 95% confidence interval (CI):.4409–.5575), anxiety (Coeff =.4825, 95% CI:.4245–.5405), and depression (Coeff =. 4601, 95% CI:.3992–.5210), and these effects differed according to gender. The effects of the fear of COVID-19 on stress and anxiety were higher in women compared with men. This cross-sectional study shows that the psychological effects of the fear of COVID-19 are more significant in women than in men. The study makes significant contributions to the literature in terms of showing the gender differences related to COVID-19 within the hospitality sector. Therefore, women should be prioritized in future psychiatric recovery plans.