Predictors of traumatic experiences among individuals experiencing pandemic-related stressors: a cross-sectional study in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis

Chrysanthi Lioupi; Xenia Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous; Elena Acquarini; Dean Ajdukovic; Vittoria Ardino; Maria Böttche; Małgorzata Dragan; Margarida Figueiredo-Braga; Odeta Gelezelyte; Piotr Grajewski; Jana Darejan Javakhishvili; Evaldas Kazlauskas; Lonneke Lenferink; Brigitte Lueger-Schuster; Lela Tsiskarishvili; Trudy Mooren; Luisa Sales; Marina Ajdukovic; Irina Zrnic Novakovic; Rakel Eklund; Ida Hensler; Ingo Schäfer; Annett Lotzin

doi:10.1007/s12144-023-05036-8

Predictors of traumatic experiences among individuals experiencing pandemic-related stressors: a cross-sectional study in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis

Chrysanthi Lioupi^*, Xenia Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, Elena Acquarini, Dean Ajdukovic, Vittoria Ardino, Maria Böttche, Małgorzata Dragan, Margarida Figueiredo-Braga, Odeta Gelezelyte, Piotr Grajewski, Jana Darejan Javakhishvili, Evaldas Kazlauskas, Lonneke Lenferink, Brigitte Lueger-Schuster, Lela Tsiskarishvili, Trudy Mooren, Luisa Sales, Marina Ajdukovic, Irina Zrnic Novakovic, Rakel EklundIda Hensler, Ingo Schäfer, Annett Lotzin

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a manifestation of trauma exposure that could eventuate in psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and various mental health disturbances, especially in people who have experienced an additional stressor such as a traumatic event. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between pandemic-related stressors, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms, and resilience among individuals with a traumatic history amidst the coronavirus disease. This study is part of a longitudinal pan-European research, the ADJUST study. The present study consisted of 14.106 participants. The questionnaires utilized included: sociodemographics, health aspects, the Criterion A section of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), the Pandemic Stressor Scale (PaSS), and the Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES). For the analysis, descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were applied. 29% of the respondents reported a traumatic history. Fear of infection, burden of infection, crisis management and communication, restricted activity, risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms of the coronavirus disease, PTSD, and resilience were the predictive factors in the trauma-exposed population. This research provides insights into the stressors that individuals with a traumatic background might experience through the COVID-19 pandemic. Future interventions and worldwide health policies should target trauma-exposed populations to enhance psychological health amidst COVID-19 and other stressful events.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	18908-18917
Number of pages	10
Journal	Current Psychology
Volume	43
Issue number	20
Early online date	17 Aug 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05036-8
Publication status	Published - May 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023.

Funding

The authors thank the collaborators for their support and contribution to the present paper: Ozan Demirok (team Austria); Aleksandra Stevanovic, Helena Bakic, Ines Rezo Bagaric, Tanja Franciskovic (team Croatia); Nino Makhashvili and Sophio Vibliani (team Georgia); Niki Adam, Eleftheria Evgeniou, Eirini Fakoureli, Aristoula Maria Kyratzopoulou, Kostas Messas, Triada Palaiokosta, Eleni Papathanasiou, Konstandina Rapti (team Cyprus/Greece); Ilaria Cinieri, Alessandra Gallo and Chiara Marangio (team Italia); Monika Kvedaraite and Auguste Nomeikaite (team Lithuania); Joanne Mouthaan, Suzan Soydas, Marloes Eidhof, Marie Jos\u00E9 van Hoof and Simon Groen (team Netherlands); Magdalena Skrodzka and Monika Folkierska-\u017Bukowska (team Poland); Aida Dias, Camila Borges, Diana Andringa, Guida Manuel, Joana Becker and Jo\u00E3o Veloso, (team Portugal); Kristina Bondjers, Josefin Sveen, Maria Bragesjo, Kerstin Bergh Johannesson and Filip K. Arnberg (team Sweden). The data assessment in Poland was supported by the Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, from the funds awarded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the form of a subsidy for the maintenance and development of research potential in 2021 (501-D125-01\u20131250000 zlec.5011000638) and the Excellence initiative \u2013 research university 501-D125-20\u20130004316. The data assessment in the Netherlands was supported by two insurance companies (DSW and CZ). The remaining countries did not receive specific funding for this research.

Funders	Funder number
Magdalena Skrodzka and Monika Folkierska-Żukowska
Ministerstwo Edukacji i Nauki	501-D125-20–0004316, 501-D125-01–1250000 zlec.5011000638

Keywords

COVID-19
Pandemic stressors
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Resilience
Trauma

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/s12144-023-05036-8

s12144-023-05036-8Final published version, 796 KBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

Lioupi, C., Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, X., Acquarini, E., Ajdukovic, D., Ardino, V., Böttche, M., Dragan, M., Figueiredo-Braga, M., Gelezelyte, O., Grajewski, P., Javakhishvili, J. D., Kazlauskas, E., Lenferink, L., Lueger-Schuster, B., Tsiskarishvili, L., Mooren, T., Sales, L., Ajdukovic, M., Novakovic, I. Z., ... Lotzin, A. (2024). Predictors of traumatic experiences among individuals experiencing pandemic-related stressors: a cross-sectional study in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis. Current Psychology, 43(20), 18908-18917. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05036-8

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abstract = "The COVID-19 pandemic is a manifestation of trauma exposure that could eventuate in psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and various mental health disturbances, especially in people who have experienced an additional stressor such as a traumatic event. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between pandemic-related stressors, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms, and resilience among individuals with a traumatic history amidst the coronavirus disease. This study is part of a longitudinal pan-European research, the ADJUST study. The present study consisted of 14.106 participants. The questionnaires utilized included: sociodemographics, health aspects, the Criterion A section of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), the Pandemic Stressor Scale (PaSS), and the Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES). For the analysis, descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were applied. 29% of the respondents reported a traumatic history. Fear of infection, burden of infection, crisis management and communication, restricted activity, risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms of the coronavirus disease, PTSD, and resilience were the predictive factors in the trauma-exposed population. This research provides insights into the stressors that individuals with a traumatic background might experience through the COVID-19 pandemic. Future interventions and worldwide health policies should target trauma-exposed populations to enhance psychological health amidst COVID-19 and other stressful events.",

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Lioupi, C, Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, X, Acquarini, E, Ajdukovic, D, Ardino, V, Böttche, M, Dragan, M, Figueiredo-Braga, M, Gelezelyte, O, Grajewski, P, Javakhishvili, JD, Kazlauskas, E, Lenferink, L, Lueger-Schuster, B, Tsiskarishvili, L, Mooren, T, Sales, L, Ajdukovic, M, Novakovic, IZ, Eklund, R, Hensler, I, Schäfer, I & Lotzin, A 2024, 'Predictors of traumatic experiences among individuals experiencing pandemic-related stressors: a cross-sectional study in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis', Current Psychology, vol. 43, no. 20, pp. 18908-18917. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05036-8

Predictors of traumatic experiences among individuals experiencing pandemic-related stressors: a cross-sectional study in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis. / Lioupi, Chrysanthi; Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, Xenia; Acquarini, Elena et al.
In: Current Psychology, Vol. 43, No. 20, 05.2024, p. 18908-18917.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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T2 - a cross-sectional study in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis

AU - Lioupi, Chrysanthi

AU - Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, Xenia

AU - Acquarini, Elena

AU - Ajdukovic, Dean

AU - Ardino, Vittoria

AU - Böttche, Maria

AU - Dragan, Małgorzata

AU - Figueiredo-Braga, Margarida

AU - Gelezelyte, Odeta

AU - Grajewski, Piotr

AU - Javakhishvili, Jana Darejan

AU - Kazlauskas, Evaldas

AU - Lenferink, Lonneke

AU - Lueger-Schuster, Brigitte

AU - Tsiskarishvili, Lela

AU - Mooren, Trudy

AU - Sales, Luisa

AU - Ajdukovic, Marina

AU - Novakovic, Irina Zrnic

AU - Eklund, Rakel

AU - Hensler, Ida

AU - Schäfer, Ingo

AU - Lotzin, Annett

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023.

PY - 2024/5

Y1 - 2024/5

N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic is a manifestation of trauma exposure that could eventuate in psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and various mental health disturbances, especially in people who have experienced an additional stressor such as a traumatic event. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between pandemic-related stressors, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms, and resilience among individuals with a traumatic history amidst the coronavirus disease. This study is part of a longitudinal pan-European research, the ADJUST study. The present study consisted of 14.106 participants. The questionnaires utilized included: sociodemographics, health aspects, the Criterion A section of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), the Pandemic Stressor Scale (PaSS), and the Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES). For the analysis, descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were applied. 29% of the respondents reported a traumatic history. Fear of infection, burden of infection, crisis management and communication, restricted activity, risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms of the coronavirus disease, PTSD, and resilience were the predictive factors in the trauma-exposed population. This research provides insights into the stressors that individuals with a traumatic background might experience through the COVID-19 pandemic. Future interventions and worldwide health policies should target trauma-exposed populations to enhance psychological health amidst COVID-19 and other stressful events.

AB - The COVID-19 pandemic is a manifestation of trauma exposure that could eventuate in psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and various mental health disturbances, especially in people who have experienced an additional stressor such as a traumatic event. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between pandemic-related stressors, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms, and resilience among individuals with a traumatic history amidst the coronavirus disease. This study is part of a longitudinal pan-European research, the ADJUST study. The present study consisted of 14.106 participants. The questionnaires utilized included: sociodemographics, health aspects, the Criterion A section of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), the Pandemic Stressor Scale (PaSS), and the Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES). For the analysis, descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were applied. 29% of the respondents reported a traumatic history. Fear of infection, burden of infection, crisis management and communication, restricted activity, risk for severe or life-threatening symptoms of the coronavirus disease, PTSD, and resilience were the predictive factors in the trauma-exposed population. This research provides insights into the stressors that individuals with a traumatic background might experience through the COVID-19 pandemic. Future interventions and worldwide health policies should target trauma-exposed populations to enhance psychological health amidst COVID-19 and other stressful events.

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KW - Resilience

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JO - Current Psychology

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ER -

Predictors of traumatic experiences among individuals experiencing pandemic-related stressors: a cross-sectional study in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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