Stress, psychiatric illness, and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a cross-national study

While the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on mental health has been documented, less research has focused on predictors of violent behavior during the pandemic. Drawing on a cross-national survey in three Western (the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United States) and non-Western (Pakistan, Ukraine, and Guatemala) countries, this study examined the direct and mediating relationships between pandemic-related stressors, negative affect, and violent behavior among adults with and without a history of psychiatric illness. Health stress (i.e. contracting the COVID-19 virus) and losing employment were not significantly related to engagement in violence. Financial issues predicted violence in the general sample. Family problems were significantly associated with violent behavior in both samples, with negative afect accounting for 29% of this link in the general sample and 46% among individuals with a history of psychiatric illness. Evidence-based strategies for stress and anger management during global disasters are discussed.