DO SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC AND CORONA REASSURANCE-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR PREDICT CORONA ANXIETY? - A STUDY AMONG INDIAN POPULATION

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe anxiety and affected mental and psychological health of the people. Virus related anxiety is thought to be affected by several socio-demographic factors, individual's risk-perception, and personality. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the predictors of corona virus-related general anxiety and death anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak in India. More specifically, the study examined the COVID-19 related reassurance-seeking behaviours, neuroticism, health anxiety, and risk perception among the adult population. DESIGN: A survey methodology was adopted to collect data from the general adult population (N=550) in India between October 29th to November 10th, 2020. Data analysis was carried out using multiple regression analysis in SPSS to examine the significant predictors of general anxiety and death anxiety of the participants. The analysis used the incremental validity of Corona reassurance-seeking behaviours in the multiple regression model. SETTING: The study was conducted among the Indian general population. FINDINGS: Major significant predictors of general anxiety related pandemic included demographic factors like being female, being young, and less educated. Simultaneously, we observed common predictors of virus-related general anxiety and death anxiety, Corona reassurance-seeking behaviours, health anxiety, and neuroticism. The participant's risk perception predicted the participant's death anxiety but not the general anxiety during the pandemic. DISCUSSION: The present study's findings will help the policymakers handle pandemic related stress in a better manner.