COVID-Related Distress as a Function of Anxiety, Emotion Socialization, and Well-Being among Adolescents and Mothers

• In Event: Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Topic - Social, Emotional, Personality

Abstract

Health risks of COVID-19 are well-known (with over 200,000 American lives lost). Research is just emerging regarding the risk/protective factors for psychological distress (i.e., painful symptoms including anxiety and depression; Haekley & Cacioppo, 2010) during COVID-19. Adolescents with pre-existing mental health issues may be especially susceptible to psychological distress as a result of consuming pandemic-related information and gaps in mental health access (Panchal et al., 2020). Factors, including savoring (strategies that up-regulate positive affect; Bryant & Veroff, 2007) and eudaimonic (striving to live up to potential, find purpose; Deci & Ryan, 2008) and hedonic (striving for positive affect and pleasure; Ryan et al., 2008) well-being motives may mitigate adolescents’ likelihood for COVID-related distress stemming from pre-existing anxiety. The current study examined: 1) the association between adolescents’ pre-existing generalized anxiety symptoms and psychological distress related to COVID-19, and 2) maternal and adolescent protective factors (savoring, eudaimonic, hedonic well-being motives) as potential moderators of these associations.

Participants were 122 adolescents (Mage=14.74, SD=.79, range=14-17; 53.3% male; 82.8% White) and 109 of their mothers (Mage=44.36, SD=6.27, range=14-60; 83.9% White) living in an Appalachian, southeastern region. They completed surveys assessing their generalized anxiety symptoms (GAD-7, Spitzer et al., 2006; αadolescent=.88;), savoring (Gentzler & Ramsey, 2015; αadolescent=.76, αmother=.86), eudaimonic (αadolescent=.78, αmother=.80) and hedonic well-being (Huta & Ryan, 2010; αadolescent=.61, mother αmother=.80). In a follow-up online survey, 1-3 years (M=476.76 days; SD=154.0) after their initial surveys, adolescents completed items assessing their psychological distress during COVID (5 items; e.g., I am worried about the COVID-19 and the situation surrounding it; α = .86) between May to August 2020.

A linear regression indicated that adolescents’ anxiety symptoms were associated with greater psychological distress after controlling for adolescent gender and time passed between surveys (B=.18, SE=.03, p<.05). Linear regression models indicated that this positive association was significant among adolescents whose mothers reported less savoring but not greater savoring (Figure 1). Adolescents’ anxiety was associated with greater distress if they reported greater eudaimonic motives, but not lower eudaimonic motives (Figure 2a). Similarly, adolescents’ anxiety was associated with greater distress for adolescents whose mothers reported greater eudaimonic motives, but not lower eudaimonic motives (Figure 2b).

Findings suggest that adolescents with greater pre-existing anxiety are at risk for more psychological distress during COVID-19. Having mothers who reported greater savoring was protective against adolescents’ likelihood for experiencing psychological distress in response to pre-existing anxiety. Mothers who savor more may help adolescents focus on the positive (e.g., celebrate positive events, share positive experiences; Moran et al., 2018). Surprisingly, greater adolescent and maternal pursuit of eudaimonic well-being placed anxious adolescents at risk for more COVID-related distress. Perhaps having greater eudaimonic goals exacerbates the impact of pre-existing anxiety because eudaimonic goals (e.g., achievement; being one’s best self) are impeded by the pandemic and include broader-focused goals (e.g., helping one’s community) that could be deleterious if teens have limited ability to help. Taken together, findings provide insight into risk and protective factors for adolescents during the pandemic, and can be useful targets to modify to reduce psychological distress.

Authors

• Katelyn Romm, George Washington University
  Presenting Author

• Amy L Gentzler, West Virginia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yeawon Park, West Virginia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jeffrey Hughes, West Virginia University
  Non-Presenting Author