Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With COVID-19 Anxiety Among General Population In China During The ‘New Normal’ Post-COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 was a major public health emergency with the fastest spreading,the widest infection range and the greatest difficulty in prevention and control since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.The outbreak has had a serious impact on people’s physical and mental health.China now is in the ‘new normal’ post-COVID-19 pandemic,and the government has taken strict measures to control the outbreak to effectively control the number of domestic cases.However,the long-term persistence of the epidemic and the various prevention and control measures have also had a psychological impact on the population.The public psychological problems caused by COVID-19 must be taken seriously by the whole society,and the anxiety of the public in China during the ‘new normal’ post-COVID-19 pandemic is still an issue that deserves attention.The purpose of this study was to assess the level of public anxiety during the ‘new normal’ post-COVID-19 pandemic,and to identify relevant influencing factors and provide a basis for public psychological intervention.Methods:(1)Questionnaire method From February 2 to February 9,2021,a web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among the Chinese general population.The questionnaire included demographic characteristics,the Coronavirus Anxiety Inventory(CAI),Perceived vulnerability to COVID-19(PVC),and UCLA 3-item loneliness scale.(2)Mathematical statistics SPSS21.0 was used for data analysis.Descriptive statistics were applied for the analysis of demographic variables,T tests,one-way ANOVA analysis,and Pearson’s bivariate correlations were used to verify the relationship between each factor and anxiety.Multiple linear regression was applied to examine the effects of potentially associated variables on anxiety.Statistical tests were all two-tailed,with P <0.05 was considered a statistically significant difference.Results: Our results showed that public anxiety is common during the ‘new normal’post-COVID-19 pandemic.Multiple linear regression indicated that medical treatment affected(β=0.083,P <0.05),living in the epidemic area(β=0.079,P <0.05),perceived vulnerability(β=0.370,P <0.05),and loneliness(β=0.233,P <0.05)were associated with anxiety.Conclusion: Public anxiety persisted during the ‘new normal’ post-COVID-19 pandemic.Living in the epidemic area,medical treatment affected,perceived vulnerability,and loneliness have a significant effect on anxiety.The government and relevant departments should provide mental health education to the public and establish a sound mechanism for long-term and precise intervention in psychological crises for the general society in response to the epidemic.