Psychosocial predictors of distress in East and West Germans during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: Psychological (meaning in life, science attitude, internal locus of control, religiosity), and social factors (social support, cohesion) can counteract stressor-related distress. We investigated these factors’ links with peri-pandemic distress (depression, anxiety, intrusions) and whether they weakened the impact of being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared prior East and West Germans on predictors and distress to investigate if their different backgrounds created lasting differences. Methods: A population-representative German sample aged 45 to 70 (N = 380) in terms of age, sex, and school education completed online questionnaires in May–July 2020 and June–July 2021. We examined the predictive relations with correlation, forward inclusion regression, and moderation analyses. Results: Social support predicted lower distress, also prospectively. Meaning in life predicted lower distress cross-sectionally. Religiosity predicted greater distress. Life meaning and social support partly weakened the link between being affected by the pandemic and distress, religiosity and science attitude strengthened this link. The only significant East/West difference was in religiosity, which was higher in the West. Conclusion: Social resources appeared particularly important in adjusting to the pandemic. The identified predictors may inform interventions. East and West Germans’ similarity might indicate that their post-war separation did not create lasting differences in the investigated factors.