Risk and protective factors, stressors, and symptoms of adjustment disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic: First results of the ESTSS COVID-19 pan-European ADJUST study
Zrnic, I.; ADJUST Study Consortium
(2021) European Journal of Psychotraumatology, volume 12, issue 1, pp. 1 - 16
(Article)
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic exposes individuals to multiple stressors, such as quarantine, physical distancing, job loss, risk of infection, and loss of loved ones. Such a complex array of stressors potentially lead to symptoms of adjustment disorder. Objective: This cross-sectional exploratory study examined relationships between risk and protective factors, stressors,
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and symptoms of adjustment disorder during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data from the first wave of the European Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) longitudinal ADJUST Study were used. N = 15,563 participants aged 18 years and above were recruited in eleven countries (Austria, Croatia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden) from June to November 2020. Associations between risk and protective factors (e.g. gender, diagnosis of a mental health disorder), stressors (e.g. fear of infection, restricted face-to-face contact), and symptoms of adjustment disorder (ADNM-8) were examined using multivariate linear regression. Results: The prevalence of self-reported probable adjustment disorder was 18.2%. Risk factors associated with higher levels of symptoms of adjustment disorder were female gender, older age, being at risk for severe COVID-19 illness, poorer general health status, current or previous trauma exposure, a current or previous mental health disorder, and longer exposure to COVID-19 news. Protective factors related to lower levels of symptoms of adjustment disorder were higher income, being retired, and having more face-to-face contact with loved ones or friends. Pandemic-related stressors associated with higher levels of symptoms of adjustment disorder included fear of infection, governmental crisis management, restricted social contact, work-related problems, restricted activity, and difficult housing conditions. Conclusions: We identified stressors, risk, and protective factors that may help identify individuals at higher risk for adjustment disorder.
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Keywords: adjustment disorder, coronavirus, COVID-19, disaster, mental health, pandemic, post-traumatic stress, protective factors, risk factors, stress-related disorders, stressors, Psychiatry and Mental health
ISSN: 2000-8198
Publisher: Co-Action Publishing
Note: Funding Information: The data assessment in Poland was supported by the Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, from the funds awarded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the form of a subsidy for the maintenance and development of research potential in 2021 (501-D125-01-1250000 zlec.5011000638) and the Excellence initiative?research university 501-D125-20-0004316. The data assessment in the Netherlands was supported by two insurance companies (DSW and CZ). The remaining countries did not receive specific funding for this research. The authors thank the collaborators for their support and contribution to the present paper: Ozan Demirok (team Austria); Marina Ajdukovic, Helena Bakic, Ines Rezo Bagaric, Tanja Franciskovic (team Croatia); Nino Makhashvili and Sophio Vibliani (team Georgia); Eleftheria Eugeniou, George Fevgas, Kostas Messas, Marianna Philippidou, Eleni Papathanasiou, Anastasia Selidou (team Cyprus/Greece); Ilaria Cinieri, Alessandra Gallo and Chiara Marangio (team Italia); Monika Kvedaraite and Auguste Nomeikaite (team Lithuania); Joanne Mouthaan, Suzan Soydas, Marloes Eidhof, Marie Jos? van Hoof and Simon Groen (team Netherlands); Magdalena Skrodzka and Monika Folkierska-?ukowska (team Poland); Aida Dias, Camila Borges, Diana Andringa, Guida Manuel, Joana Beker and Jo?o Veloso, Francisco Freitas (team Portugal); Kristina Bondjers, Josefin Sveen, Rakel Eklund, Kerstin Bergh Johannesson and Ida Hensler (team Sweden). We greatly thank the study team of the coordinating site at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (team Germany) that prepared the survey and conducted the overall data management, in particular Laura Kenntemich, who was supported by Sven Buth, Eike Neumann-Runde, Ronja Ketelsen, Lennart Schwierzke, Julia Gro?, and Laura Gutewort. We also thank Ann-Kathrin Ozga for her statistical advice. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
(Peer reviewed)
