TY - JOUR
T1 - Trauma-Related Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic In 59 Countries
AU - Ertl, Melissa M.
AU - Trapp, Stephen K.
AU - Alzueta, Elisabet
AU - Baker, Fiona C.
AU - Perrin, Paul B.
AU - Caffarra, Sendy
AU - Yüksel, Dilara
AU - Ramos-Usuga, Daniela
AU - Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life like few other events in modern history, with differential impacts on varying population groups. This study examined trauma-related distress among 6,882 adults ages 18 to 94 years old in 59 countries during April to May 2020. More than two-thirds of participants reported clinically significant trauma-related distress. Increased distress was associated with unemployment; identifying as transgender, nonbinary, or a cisgender woman; being from a higher income country; current symptoms and positive diagnosis of COVID-19; death of a loved one; restrictive government-imposed isolation; financial difficulties; and food insecurity. Other factors associated with distress included working with potentially infected individuals, care needs at home, a difficult transition to working from home, conflict in the home, separation from loved ones, and event restrictions. Latin American and Caribbean participants reported more trauma-related distress than participants from Europe and Central Asia. Findings inform treatment efforts and highlight the need to address trauma-related distress to avoid long-term mental health consequences.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life like few other events in modern history, with differential impacts on varying population groups. This study examined trauma-related distress among 6,882 adults ages 18 to 94 years old in 59 countries during April to May 2020. More than two-thirds of participants reported clinically significant trauma-related distress. Increased distress was associated with unemployment; identifying as transgender, nonbinary, or a cisgender woman; being from a higher income country; current symptoms and positive diagnosis of COVID-19; death of a loved one; restrictive government-imposed isolation; financial difficulties; and food insecurity. Other factors associated with distress included working with potentially infected individuals, care needs at home, a difficult transition to working from home, conflict in the home, separation from loved ones, and event restrictions. Latin American and Caribbean participants reported more trauma-related distress than participants from Europe and Central Asia. Findings inform treatment efforts and highlight the need to address trauma-related distress to avoid long-term mental health consequences.
KW - COVID-19
KW - disaster trauma
KW - international research
KW - pandemic
KW - trauma-related distress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126347197&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85126347197&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/00110000211068112
DO - 10.1177/00110000211068112
M3 - Article
C2 - 37636332
AN - SCOPUS:85126347197
SN - 0011-0000
VL - 50
SP - 306
EP - 334
JO - Counseling Psychologist
JF - Counseling Psychologist
IS - 3
ER -