COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey dataset on psychological and behavioural consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak

This N = 173,426 social science dataset was collected through the collaborative COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey – an open science effort to improve understanding of the human experiences of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic between 30th March and 30th May, 2020. The dataset allows a cross-cultural study of psychological and behavioural responses to the Coronavirus pandemic and associated government measures like cancellation of public functions and stay at home orders implemented in many countries. The dataset contains demographic background variables as well as measures of Asian Disease Problem, perceived stress (PSS-10), availability of social provisions (SPS-10), trust in various authorities, trust in governmental measures to contain the virus (OECD trust), personality traits (BFF-15), information behaviours, agreement with the level of government intervention, and compliance with preventive measures, along with a rich pool of exploratory variables and written experiences. A global consortium from 39 countries and regions worked together to build and translate a survey with variables of shared interests, and recruited participants in 47 languages and dialects. Raw plus cleaned data and dynamic visualizations are available

Relating coping, fear of uncertainty and alexithymia with psychological distress: The mediator role of experiential avoidance

Abstract The present study tests the mediating role of experiential avoidance (EA; Hayes, Wilson, Gifford, Follette, & Strosahl, 1996) to account for the relations of avoidant coping, fear of uncertainty, and alexithymia with negative psychological outcomes. Participants were 177 adults (51 males and 126 females; mean age = 34.5). Measures of EA (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, AAQ), avoidant coping (Brief COPE scale), fear of uncertainty (Temperament and Character Inventory), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale), and psychological outcomes (Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale) were obtained from standardized, self-administered questionnaires. Regression analyses were performed to test for mediation models. Results show that the effect of avoidant coping and fear of uncertainty on emotional distress and other negative outcomes decreases when controlling avoidance scores, whereas the latter predicts psychological outcomes. Findings suggest that EA may represent a generalized mechanism through which both avoidant coping and fear of uncertainty take on psychological significance. Results did not support, however, the mediating role of EA for explaining the relations between alexithymia and psychological outcomes

Acceptance and psychological outcomes: The mediating role of catastrophism

Objectives: The present study analyses the relations of Acceptance, as measured by the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ), and psychological outcomes in a sample of patients with fybromialgia. In particular, the objective is to explore whether the relations of Acceptance with psychological outcomes are mediated by catastrophising tendency. Methods: 49 patients with a diagnosis of fybromialgia completed the CPAQ, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale, and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Linear regression analyses were performed to test the hypothesised relations. Results: The tendency to catastrophise mediates the relations between CPAQ scores and anxiety, pain-related anxiety, and depression. Conclusions: The tendency to catastrophise is the mechanism through which Acceptance takes on psychological significance

Italian Version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II): Dimensionality, Reliability, Convergent and Criterion Validity

This study focused on the validation of the Italian version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II, Bond et al. Behavior Therapy 42:676-688, 2011). This measure was developed to address the need for an improved measure of psychological inflexibility. The participants were 255 adults (77 males and 178 females, mean age of 31.9 years, SD = 13.7) from the general population. The results of Principal Axis Factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure of AAQ-II scores. The one-factor solution accounted for 42 % of the variance. Internal consistency was high (.83), and test-retest reliability over a 12-month period was modest (.61). Higher AAQ-II scores significantly related to anxiety and depression, and to lower psychological well-being, supporting the concurrent validity of the scale. Correlations with measures of conceptually related constructs also supported the convergent validity of the scale. Furthermore, psychological inflexibility significantly predicted important outcome measures beyond conceptually related constructs. The results of this study suggest that the Italian version of the AAQ-II is a reliable and valid measure of psychological inflexibility, and that the 7-item version of the scale features improved psychometric properties over previous versions of the questionnaire

Experiential avoidance, somatosensory amplification, and psychological distress

The study is aimed at testing for mediational and moderational models to explain relationships among experiential avoidance, somatosensory amplification and emotional distress. Experiential Avoidance (EA) is a process involving excessive negative evaluations of unwanted private experiences, unwillingness to experience these private experiences, and deliberate efforts to control them. Somatosensory amplification (SA) refers to the tendency of experiencing somatic sensations as unusually intense, noxious, and disturbing. Although both EA and SA have been consistently related with psychological distress, the specific pattern of interrelationships between the two predictors to affect psychological well-being has not been yet explored. Participants included undergraduate university students and outpatients with chronic pain (males and females, aged 18-65 yrs.). Measures of somatosensory amplification (Somatosensory Amplification Scale, Barsky et al., 1990), experiential avoidance (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, AAQ, Hayes, 2004), and emotional distress were obtained from standardized, self-administered questionnaires. Regression analyses were performed to test for mediational and moderational models. Results show that the effect of EA on emotional distress is not significant when controlling SA scores, whereas the latter predicts emotional outcomes. Findings support EA as a broad-based vulnerability for emotional distress, and suggest that SA may represent a mechanism through which EA takes on psychological significance

Psychological well being, negative affectivity, and perceived quality of life in fibromyalgic female patients

Objective: the aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of psychological well being (PWB), negative affectivity, and quality of life in a sample of fibromyalgic patients. Methods: 48 women with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia were compared with 48 healthy female controls from the general population. Measures of PWB, negative affectivity, daily functional status, and perceived quality of life were obtained from standardised, self-administered rating scales. Results: cases showed higher depression symptomatology, more difficulties in daily functional skills, and a poorer perceived quality of life than controls. Between-groups differences in anxiety symptoms or in PWB dimensions were not statistically significant. Cases did not show correlations between PWB and perceived quality of life, while controls had a positive correlation. Conclusion: fibromyalgic patients seem to link their perception of quality of life to the level of depression and the difficulties in daily living, and not to the PWB constructs

Reliability and Validity of the Italian Version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire

Objective: the present study reports on the psychometric properties of the adaptation into Italian of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ; Hayes et al., 2004). The AAQ is aimed at measuring several processes involved in the psychological basic ability namely “psychological flexibility” -or its opposite “experiential avoidance”- in population-based studies. The pool of items assesses the degree to which an individual fuses with thoughts, avoids feelings, and is unable to act in the presence of difficult private events. Design and methods: participants included undergraduate students and non-student adults (males and females, 18-65 yrs.). In addition to the AAQ, subjects were also requested to fill up questionnaires measuring constructs that share a high conceptual affinity with the scale. In order to estimate the test-retest reliability of the instrument, a half of the sample completed the questionnaire twice over an interval of two to three weeks. Statistical analyses for testing the factorial validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity of the questionnaire were carried out. Results: findings in this study indicate that the AAQ is a reliable and valid assessment tool for measuring Psychological Flexibility/Experiential Avoidance in population-based studies with Italian samples. Conclusion: like the English original version, the Italian AAQ is an important instrument for measuring Experiential Avoidance, which has been proposed to be a stronger contributor to psychopathology, and is supposed to be related to several significant forms of psychological dysfunctions

Psychological well-being mediates the effects of experiential avoidance on psychological outcomes in cancer

Objective: the aim of the present study was to test a model in which Psychological Well-being (PWB) mediates the relation of Experiential Avoidance (EA) with Depression, Anxiety, Daily living/Role Functioning, and Relations to Self/Others in patients with cancer. Methods: participants were recruited in the Oncology Units of the Santa Chiara Hospital of Pisa, Italy. Measures of PWB, EA, Depression, Anxiety, Daily living/Role Functioning, and Relations to Self/Others were obtained from standardised, self-administered questionnaires. Regression analyses were performed to test for mediational models. Results: EA significantly predicted PWB, Depression, Anxiety, Daily living/Role Functioning, and Relations to Self/Others. Moreover, the effect of EA on the outcome measures was not significant anymore when controlling for PWB scores, whereas the latter still predicted them. Conclusion: PWB fully mediated the relation of EA with Depression, Anxiety, Daily living/Role Functioning, and Relations to Self/Others