Stress in the time of COVID-19: The role of anxiety

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Abstract

COVID-19 represents an unprecedented challenge to the world’s youth. Although youth are at lower risk of developing COVID-19, they may still show biological effects of COVID-19-related stress, as evidenced by maladaptive patterns of diurnal cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA). Critically, individual differences in diurnal levels of both cortisol and alpha-amylase have been shown to predict a number of negative health outcomes among youth including cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases, and obesity (Adam et al., 2017; Miller et al., 2015). However, there are individual differences in the extent to which the stress of COVID-19 gets under the skin. There is reason to believe that internalizing symptoms could make some individuals more vulnerable to COVID-19-related stress, as internalizing symptoms have emerged as an important determinant of health and wellbeing (e.g. Beauchaine, 2001). Thus we examined whether youths’ pre-COVID-19 internalizing symptoms were associated with individual differences in diurnal patterns of cortisol and sAA during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. To assess pre-COVID-19 internalizing symptoms, early adolescent youth (n=51) completed the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-10; March, 1997), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1979), and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC; Faulstich et al., 1986) several months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three months following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth provided 8 saliva samples across the course of two days to index cortisol and sAA. We found that symptoms of anxiety prior to the pandemic were associated with a greater cortisol awakening response, p=.048, and a blunted sAA awakening response, p=.021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking a multi-level approach informed by the developmental psychopathology framework, these findings suggest that youth with elevated baseline symptoms of anxiety are at heightened risk of experiencing more maladaptive biological markers of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. By identifying youth at greatest risk, we have the opportunity to intervene early and equip these youth with the tools they need to manage and overcome the stress associated with major challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors

• Ellen Jopling, University of British Columbia (UBC)
  Presenting Author

• Alison Tracy, University of British Columbia (UBC)
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katerina Rnic, University of British Columbia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joelle LeMoult, University of British Columbia
  Non-Presenting Author