The relationship between maladaptive health beliefs, pandemic-related stress, and health anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND Research has demonstrated that people experience specific distress and anxiety regarding COVID-19. This distress may consist of interconnected symptom categories corresponding to a COVID stress syndrome. Susceptibility to COVID stress syndrome may be related to one's maladaptive health beliefs; however, no research has investigated the association between maladaptive health beliefs and COVID stress. The present study explored the impact of health beliefs on COVID stress, health anxiety, and associated psychological constructs. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE This cross-sectional survey study included 221 adults (M age = 20.59, SD = 2.28). Participants completed an online survey including demographic questionnaires and self -report measures of health beliefs, COVID stress, health anxiety, and related psychological constructs. RESULTS Health anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, state/trait anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and depression accounted for significant variance in COVID stress (F(6, 214) = 11.18, R-2 = .24, p < .001). Health beliefs (i.e., perceived likelihood of illness, medical service inadequacy, and difficulty coping) were associated with greater COVID stress, although health beliefs were not found to mediate the relationship between health anxiety and COVID stress. CONCLUSIONS Health beliefs were associated with greater COVID stress, although health beliefs did not mediate the relationship between health anxiety and COVID stress. The relationship between health anxiety and COVID stress may be better explained by other COVID-related cognitions (e.g., vaccine efficacy, dangerousness of COVID-19). The findings highlight the importance of peoples' health beliefs during the pandemic. Given anxiety's influence on peoples' behavioural responses to the pandemic, further research should identify COVID-specific cognitions for prevention of COVID stress and health anxiety.