Double Hit: Does Early Deprivation Increase Worries During a Pandemic?

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Abstract

Early life stress (ELS) is believed to increase life-long health risks, in part, because it sensitizes individuals to stressors experienced later in life. The COVID-19 pandemic is a major stressor experienced worldwide. We have had the opportunity to examine youth concerns/worries about the pandemic as a function of ELS in the form of institutional care prior to adoption and exposure to family and friends with the disease.

Preliminary data from this ongoing project are reported here for 92 (62 female) previously-institutionalized (PI) and 103 (56 female) non-adopted (NA) youth aged 12 to 22yrs (M=15.9, SD=2.4). Participants were recruited as part of an ongoing longitudinal study which is reported elsewhere. Participants are largely from well-resourced families, and the PI youth were from these regions: 64% Eastern Europe, 25% Latin America, and 11% Africa. Youth completed online questionnaires including a modification of the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS, Merikangas & Stringaris, 2020) reporting on their own experience with the virus itself, their worries and concerns regarding the virus, their change in emotional state since the pandemic, and their behaviors surrounding sleep, exercise, and socializing.

Few participants themselves were diagnosed (2) or suspected (13) of having COVID-19. However, nearly half the youth reporting direct or indirect exposure within their household, extended family, or friends. Participants were categorized as having any exposure to the virus (54%), or not (46%). A global score of concern/worries related to pandemic issues (e.g., missing important events, getting sick) was computed as a mean on 5-pt scale of pandemic-concern (α=.84, 34 items, M=2.48, SD=.60). Participants also rated on a 5-pt scale how much their negative emotions changed since the pandemic (e.g., worry, sadness, anxiety). This scale ranged from “decreased a lot” (1) to “not changed” (3) to “increased a lot” (5). Negativity (α=.81, 10 items, M=3.20, SD=.53).

PI youth reported more pandemic-concerns than NA youth, F(1,191)=3.8, p=.05, as did youth exposed to the pandemic in family and friends F(1,191)=6.7, p=.01. The greater concerns of PI youth were not related to pandemic exposure. See Figure 1. However, there were no group difference for increases in negativity since the pandemic, with all groups averaging no change (3) in negative emotions. These results support the double hit hypothesis for ELS and suggest that it may partially operate through greater concerns/worries when significant stressors are experienced later in life. By conference presentation, analyses will be on a sample of greater than 200, and explore reports by gender and age at assessment and also how responses to the pandemic play out in health behaviors (sleep, exercise, etc).

Authors

• Teresa Grunklee, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Presenting Author

• Bonny Donzella, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nicole Perry, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Carrie E DePasquale, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Non-Presenting Author

• Megan R. Gunnar, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author