Coronavirus Anxiety, COVID Anxiety Syndrome and Mental Health: A Test Among Six Countries During March 2021.

The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health outcomes is widely documented. Specifically, individuals experiencing greater degrees of severity in coronavirus anxiety have demonstrated higher levels of generalized anxiety, depression and psychological distress. Yet the pathways in which coronavirus anxiety confers vulnerability are not well known. The present investigation sought to address this gap in the scientific literature by testing the indirect effect of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome, which centres on the function of detecting and managing the environmental threat of virus exposure and its sequalae. Data were collected during the height of the pandemic (March 2021) and included 5297 adults across six countries. Structural equation modelling techniques revealed that the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome evidenced a statistically significant indirect effect between coronavirus anxiety and generalized anxiety, depression and work/social adjustment. Overall, results suggest there could be public health merit to targeting anxiety related to virus exposure to improve behavioural health for those who are struggling with excessive fear and worry.

A systematic review of the relationship between generic and specific metacognitive beliefs and emotion dysregulation: A metacognitive model of emotion dysregulation.

Although a probable association between metacognitive beliefs (also termed 'metacognitions') and emotion dysregulation has been suggested in the literature, the evidence is still sparse and inconclusive. The current study aims to present a comprehensive evaluation of the literature examining the association between metacognitive beliefs and emotion dysregulation. In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, a search was conducted on PubMed and Ebsco. A manual search of reference lists was also run. Search terms were 'metacognitions/metacognitive beliefs/positive metacognitive beliefs/negative metacognitive beliefs/cognitive self-consciousness/beliefs about the need to control thoughts/cognitive confidence/negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger/AND difficulties emotion regulation/emotion dysregulation'. A total of 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. In both non-clinical and clinical populations, a higher endorsement of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs was found to be associated with emotion dysregulation and vice versa. A higher endorsement of metacognitive beliefs may be associated, either directly or via maladaptive forms of mental control (e.g., worry, rumination and suppression) to emotion dysregulation. Metacognitive beliefs could be the potential therapeutic target in clinical interventions aimed at reducing emotion regulation difficulties.

An assessment of the psychometric properties and psychological correlates of the Greek COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS).

In Greece, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with social isolation, economic crisis, considerable unemployment, and an escalation of psychological distress. Given the potential of COVID-19 to engender a long-lasting impact on mental health, validating the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) may be beneficial in determining if fear-based behaviors may persist post-pandemic. This is a psychometric study examining the C-19ASS features across a general sample of Greeks (n = 912; female = 78%; mean age = 32.35, ±9.25). The Greek C-19ASS demonstrated a two-factor structure consistent with the original scale's perseveration and avoidance subscales. This structure was supported by confirmatory factor analysis, which demonstrated a strong fit and robust reliability along with good divergent and convergent validity evidenced by correlational analyses. The incremental validity test revealed that the Greek C-19ASS predicted functional impairment and COVID-19 anxiety independently of health anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depressive symptoms, the Big Five personality traits, pandemic-related factors, and demographic variables. The findings were discussed using a self-regulatory executive function model as a theoretical background to discuss this pandemic-related phenomenon.

Twisted memories: Addiction-related engrams are strengthened by desire thinking.

Associative learning plays a central role in addiction by reinforcing associations between environmental cues and addiction-related information. Unsupervised learning models posit that memories are adjusted based on how strongly these representations are coactivated during the retrieval process. From a different perspective, clinical models of addiction posit that the escalation and persistence of craving may depend on desire thinking, a thinking style orienting to prefigure information about positive addiction-related experiences. In the present work, we tested the main hypothesis that desire thinking is a key factor in the strengthening of addiction-related associations. A group of adult smoking volunteers (N = 26) engaged in a period of desire thinking before performing an associative learning task in which neutral words (cues) were shown along with images (smoking-related vs. neutral context) at different frequencies. Two retrieval tests were administered, one immediately after encoding and the other after 24 h, to test how the recall of associations changed as a function of retention interval. Two control groups, smokers (N = 21) and non-smokers (N = 22), performed a similar procedure, with a neutral imagination task replacing desire thinking. Participants who engaged in desire thinking increased their performance from the first to the second retrieval test only for the most frequent smoking-related associations. Crucially, this selective effect was not observed in the two control groups. These results provide behavioral evidence in support of the idea that desire thinking plays a role in strengthening addiction-related associations. Thus, this thinking process may be considered a target for reconsolidation-based conceptualizations of, and treatments for, addiction.

Psychometric properties and psychological correlates of the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has led to the demise of millions of people worldwide; additionally, it has resulted in a significant economic and mental health burden. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, various measures have been constructed to evaluate pandemic-related fear and anxiety. The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a promising measure that assesses coping strategies (e.g., avoidance, checking, worrying and threat monitoring), termed 'COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome', in response to COVID-19 fear and anxiety. The measure has been broadly welcomed, leading to its use in Brazil (Portuguese), China, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Iran (Farsi), Italy, Saudi Arabia (Arabic), Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. To gain a better understanding of the relevance of the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the psychological correlates and psychometric properties of the C-19ASS. Through the analysis of a total of 17,789 individuals (age range 19-70; female = 33%-85%), the C-19ASS demonstrated a consistent factor structure, measurement invariance across gender and acceptable reliabilities. Furthermore, a significant association with COVID-19 anxiety, depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, health anxiety, psychological distress and functional impairment (work and social adjustment) during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed. When considering the Big Five personality traits, the C-19ASS and its subscales were only significantly and negatively associated with extraversion; only the total score on the measure was associated with neuroticism. The observed effect sizes ranged from very small to medium. Given that all included studies (K = 24) were cross-sectional, and due to the nature of the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome, which may well persist after the pandemic ends, it is recommended to continue screening society for the persistence of this syndrome.

The Arab COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS): COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and psychological symptoms in the Saudi Arabian population.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a reliable scale assessing dysfunctional coping strategies activated in response to COVID-19 fear and threat. The present study aimed to provide a validation of the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and to explore the association between the C-19ASS and psychological symptoms syndrome. METHOD: In Study 1, a community sample of 404 participants completed the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and results were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, a community sample of 903 participants completed the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and a series of measures assessing depressed mood and anhedonia, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Internal consistency, construct validity and incremental validity were assessed. Associations between C-19ASS and psychological symptoms were assessed. RESULTS: Factor analysis identified a two-factor solution (i.e., C-19ASS-Perseveration and C-19ASS-Avoidance), and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor model best fits the data. The Arabic version of the C-19ASS showed good internal consistency, good construct and incremental validity. COVID-19 anxiety syndrome was associated with more severe anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and health anxiety. Females had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome than males. Participants diagnosed with COVID-19, and those who had experienced loss as a consequence of COVID-19, had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome (Perseveration). CONCLUSIONS: The Arabic version of the C-19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome could be a suitable therapeutic target to improve psychological recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic among Arabs.

Impulsivity dimensions and their associations with disinhibited and actual eating behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested that there is an association between impulsivity, assessed via self-report measures and behaviourally, and disinhibited eating patterns, but it remains unclear which specific dimension of impulsivity is the most salient in this relationship. Furthermore, it remains uncertain whether any such associations would extend to actual eating behaviours and food consumption. AIMS: The present study aimed to examine whether impulsivity, assessed both behaviourally and via self-report, is associated with self-reported disinhibited and actual eating behaviour in a controlled eating task. METHOD: 70 women from a community sample (aged 21-35) completed the Disinhibition subscale of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the Matching Familiar Figures Task (MFFT-20), and a behavioural food consumption task. RESULTS: Bivariate correlational analyses revealed significant associations between self-report measure of impulsivity, the scores on the MFFT-20 (assessing reflection impulsivity), and self-report measure of disinhibited eating. All these measures were associated with overall food consumption in a taste task, with reflection impulsivity, that is poor ability to reflect on information before making a decision, having the strongest association with the amount of food consumed. Self-reported impulsivity was most strongly associated with disinhibited eating. Partial correlations controlling for BMI and age did not diminish any significant correlations within these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Significant associations between both trait and behavioural (reflection) impulsivity, and self-reported disinhibited eating and actual eating behaviour were demonstrated. The implications of these findings on uncontrolled eating patterns in real life are discussed.

Psychological Impact and Women's Evaluation of the First-Trimester Pre-Eclampsia Screening and Prevention: ASPRE Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to extend the understanding of the psychological impact of the first-trimester pre-eclampsia (PE) screening on women identified as high risk for preterm PE. We examined the differences between low- vs. high-risk women throughout pregnancy in: symptoms of distress (anxiety, depression, physical and mental health, and worry), health behaviour changes, the experience of pregnancy, and attitudes towards PE screening. METHODS: This study was nested within the ASPRE trial. Pregnant women were screened for preterm-PE risk status in the first trimester; the assessments were carried out before the screening, in the second and in the third trimester (n = 155 low-risk women and N = 82 high-risk women in the second trimester). RESULTS: The high-risk-for-PE women exhibited more depressive symptoms compared to the low-risk women in the second but not in the third trimester. No differences were observed between the two groups in other distress symptoms or in the women's evaluation of their experience of pregnancy. The high-risk group reported greater health behaviour changes compared to the low-risk group, but this was moderated by depression levels. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, pregnant women reported positive attitudes towards first-trimester PE screening, despite transient depressive symptoms. This study offers supportive evidence concerning the appropriateness of PE screening in ethical terms.

Diabetes self-management during the COVID-19 pandemic and its associations with COVID-19 anxiety syndrome, depression and health anxiety.

INTRODUCTION: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health have been profound. Mental health and diabetes self-care are inter-related. We examined whether COVID-19 anxiety, depressive symptoms and health anxiety were associated with domains of diabetes self-management and investigated whether greater COVID-19 anxiety syndrome would independently contribute to suboptimal diabetes self-care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Surveys were sent to people attending diabetes clinics of three London hospitals. Participants completed the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ), the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19 ASS), which measures perseveration and avoidant maladaptive coping behaviour, assessed with measures of co-existent depressive symptoms and anxiety, controlling for age, gender and social deprivation. Clinical data, including pre- and post-lockdown HbA1c measures, were obtained from hospital records for 369 respondents, a response rate of 12.8%. RESULTS: Depressive symptom scores were high. Both pre-existing health anxiety and depressive symptoms were independently linked to improvable measures of diabetes care, as was lower socio-economic rank. However, avoidant COVID-19 anxiety responses were independently associated with higher diabetes self-care scores. HbA1c levels improved modestly over the year of UK lockdown in this cohort. CONCLUSION: During the height of lockdown, avoidant coping behaviours characteristic of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome may in fact work to improve diabetes self-care, at least in the short term. We recommend screening for depressive symptoms and being aware of the significant minority of people with COVID-19 anxiety syndrome who may now find it difficult to re-engage with face-to-face clinic opportunities.

The Italian COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale: Investigation of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and its association with psychological symptoms in an Italian population.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a quick and reliable scale assessing dysfunctional coping strategies activated in response to COVID-19 fear and threat. The present study aimed to provide a preliminary validation of the Italian version of the C-19ASS and investigated whether the C-19ASS would mediate the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and psychological outcomes. METHOD: In Study 1, a community sample of 271 participants completed the Italian version of the C-19ASS and results were subjected to a Principal Component Analysis. In study 2, a community sample of 484 participants completed the Italian version of the C-19ASS and a series of measures assessing COVID-19 anxiety, COVID-19 fear, functional impairment, personality traits, depression, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Internal consistency, concurrent and incremental validity were assessed. Path analyses were run. RESULTS: Factor analysis identified a two-factor solution (i.e., C-19ASS Perseveration and C-19ASS Avoidance) and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor model best fits the data. The Italian version of the C-19ASS showed good internal consistency. There was also evidence of convergent validity and incremental validity. Path analyses showed that C-19ASS Perseveration mediates the relationship between emotional stability and psychological symptoms (depression, generalized anxiety and health anxiety). CONCLUSION: The Italian version of the C-19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome could be a suitable therapeutic target to reduce psychological symptoms typically linked to pandemic events, such as depression generalized anxiety and health anxiety.

The Persian COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS): Psychometric properties in a general community sample of Iranians.

There is a potential for a long-lasting psychological and social impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C19-ASS) has been developed, which measures individuals' coping mechanisms in relation to the fear or threat of COVID-19. The C19-ASS was developed and has been used so far only in Western samples. Further psychometric evaluation is needed in ethnically diverse samples. Therefore, the current study sought to test the psychometric properties in a large sample of Iranians (n = 1429; female = 52.1%; Mean age = 35.83, ±12.89) who completed a cross-sectional survey. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the Persian C19-ASS has a two-factor structure corresponding to the perseveration and avoidance subscales of the original scale. Confirmatory factor analyses also supported a two-factor solution, which showed a firm model fit and high internal consistencies. Furthermore, it showed excellent divergent validity from generalized anxiety, indicating that it is concerned explicitly with COVID-19, supported by correlational analyses and exploratory factor analysis. Test of incremental validity indicated the Persian C19-ASS explained more variance in functional impairment and COVID-19 anxiety than the gender, marital and educational status, generalized anxiety, neuroticism, openness, consciousness and having lost someone close due to COVID-19. Also, based on a mediation test, it was found that C19-ASS mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (except openness and consciousness) and health anxiety, generalized anxiety, depression and COVID-19 anxiety. Overall, the current findings provide further evidence for the construct of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome is discussed in light of the S-REF model that provides an explanatory framework for this pandemic-related construct.

The relative contribution of health cognitions and metacognitions about health anxiety to cyberchondria: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Cyberchondria involves the excessive and compulsive use of the Internet to search for health information. The present study investigated the relative contribution of health cognitions and metacognitions about health anxiety to prospective cyberchondria scores, controlling for health anxiety and hours spent online per day. METHODS: A convenience sample of 221 participants was recruited for the purpose of this study with a final sample totaling 125 participants (58.4% females, Mage = 34.51 years) who completed the full survey at baseline (T0 ) and a measure of cyberchondria after 30 days (T1 ). RESULTS: The results of the study showed that metacognition about health anxiety relating to beliefs about the uncontrollability of thoughts was the only significant predictor of prospective cyberchondria scores when controlling for health anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These results offer further support to the role of beliefs about the uncontrollability of thoughts in cyberchondria. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Metacognitions, rumination, and worry in personality disorder.

Research on metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking in patients with Personality Disorder (PD) is scarce. We aimed to determine if metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking differed between patients with PD and those without PD, and if metacognitions would predict repetitive negative thinking in patients with PD controlling for several variables. A sample of 558 clinical participants were assessed for the presence of a PD diagnosis and completed the following questionnaires: Penn-State Worry Questionnaire, Ruminative Response Scale, Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory. Compared to patients without a diagnosis of PD, patients with a PD diagnosis reported higher scores on both rumination and worry (as well as depression and anxiety) and three out of five of the MCQ-30 subscales (positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, and beliefs about the need to control thoughts). Furthermore, the results of two hierarchical regression analyses in patients with a diagnosis of PD indicated that positive beliefs about worry and negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger were independent predictors of worry, and that negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger and cognitive self-consciousness were independent predictors of rumination. Metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking may play a role in the severity of psychological distress experienced in PD presentations. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and selective attentional bias towards COVID-19-related stimuli in UK residents during the 2020-2021 pandemic.

The psychological and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are pervasive, and there is potential for a long-lasting impact on mental health. In the current study, we sought to provide, in a representative sample of UK residents during the third COVID-19 lockdown in February 2021, further evidence for the validation of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome construct. We did this by evaluating the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome against measures of personality, health anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety in predicting levels of generalized anxiety and depression and by examining whether increased health anxiety and COVID-19 psychological distress (COVID-19 anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety syndrome) scores were associated with increased attentional bias to COVID-19-related stimuli. A series of correlation analyses revealed that neuroticism, health anxiety, COVID-19 anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety syndrome scores were positively and significantly correlated with generalized anxiety and depression scores and that the perseveration component of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome predicted generalized anxiety and depression scores independently of age, gender, conscientiousness, openness, health anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety. Furthermore, results indicated that only the total COVID-19 anxiety syndrome score and the scores on the avoidance and perseveration components were positively and significantly correlated with attentional bias indices. More specifically, the general attentional bias index was only shown to be positively and significantly correlated with the total COVID-19 anxiety syndrome score and its perseveration component, while slowed disengagement was only shown to be negatively and significantly correlated with the total COVID-19 anxiety syndrome score and its avoidance component. The implications of these findings are discussed.

A discriminant analysis model of psychosocial predictors of problematic Internet use and cannabis use disorder in university students.

Researchers have found similarities and differences between behavioral and drug addictions. The present study was designed to explore which of a series of psychosocial predictors of addictive behaviors could differentiate problematic Internet use (PIU) and Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) in a sample of University students. A total of 144 participants (76 males, mean age = 23.03 years ± 2.83) were separated into three groups: those presenting with PIU (18 females, Mean age = 22.27 years), those presenting with CUD (22 female, Mean age = 22.73 years), and a control group (28 female, Mean age = 24.04 years). Participants completed the Internet Abusive Use Questionnaire (IAUQ), the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), the Multidimensional Distress Tolerance Scale (MDTS), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and the Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire-10 (RTQ-10). The classification analysis results showed that 68.8% of the control group, 70.8% of the PIU group, and 81.3% of the CUD group were correctly classified in their respective groups. In addition, the results of the discriminant function analysis showed that there was a significant difference between members of the PIU and CUD groups in the degree of family support (0.45), significant other (0.33), tolerance of physical discomfort (0.30), reappraisal (0.42), and cognitive confidence (0.35). The findings provide evidence that specific psychosocial predictors can discriminate PIU from CUD.

The relationship between fear of COVID-19 and health anxiety among families with COVID-19 infected: The mediating role of metacognitions, intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation.

The current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of metacognitions, intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 (FC-19) and health anxiety, among families with COVID-19 infected. Participants were 541 individuals from family members of patients with COVID-19 (F = 52.3%, mean age = 41.3 ± 13.2 years). Data were collected with a packet including sociodemographic and risk factors, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Short Health Anxiety Inventory, the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Structural equation modelling analyses revealed a full mediation of metacognitions (i.e., positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, cognitive confidence and beliefs about the need to control thoughts), intolerance of uncertainty and expressive suppression in the relation between FC-19 and health anxiety. Moreover, the strongest indirect links were found between FC-19 and health anxiety through negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger and intolerance of uncertainty. These associations were independent of gender and risk status. The final model accounted for 71% of the variance of health anxiety. These findings suggest that particularly metacognitions, intolerance of uncertainty and expressive suppression play a full mediational role in the relation between FC-19 and health anxiety.

Modelling the contribution of the Big Five personality traits, health anxiety, and COVID-19 psychological distress to generalised anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the current study we sought to extend our understanding of vulnerability and protective factors (the Big Five personality traits, health anxiety, and COVID-19 psychological distress) in predicting generalised anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (n = 502), who were United States residents, completed a variety of sociodemographic questions and the following questionnaires: Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10), Whitley Index 7 (WI-7), Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C19-ASS), and Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS). Results showed that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness were negatively correlated with generalised anxiety and depressive symptoms and that neuroticism, health anxiety and both measures of COVID-19 psychological distress were positively correlated with generalised anxiety and depressive symptoms. We used path analysis to determine the pattern of relationships specified by the theoretical model we proposed. Results showed that health anxiety, COVID-19 anxiety, and the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome partially mediated the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and generalised anxiety and depressive symptoms. Specifically, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were negatively associated with the three mediators, which, in turn, were positively associated with generalised anxiety and depressive symptoms, with COVID-19 anxiety showing the strongest effect. Conversely, neuroticism and openness were positively associated with COVID-19 anxiety and the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome, respectively. These relationships were independent of age, gender, employment status and risk status. The model accounted for a substantial variance of generalised anxiety and depression symptoms (R2 = .75). The implications of these findings are discussed.

The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome scale: Development and psychometric properties.

The central aim of our study was to widen the mental health response to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing and evaluating a measure that could be used to identify the presence of anxiety syndrome features associated with COVID-19. In Study 1, a community sample of 292 participants completed the newly developed COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) and results were subjected to a Principal Components Analysis. An 11-item two-factor structure was identified. In Study 2, a community sample of 426 participants completed a battery of questionnaires including the C-19ASS. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed on the C-19ASS. A 9-item two-factor structure was confirmed. Results also indicated that the C-19ASS has acceptable levels of reliability and concurrent validity. The C-19ASS perseveration factor was found to explain an additional 9.3% variance in COVID-19 anxiety, and additional 2.2% variance in work and social adjustment (functional impairment), over and above all other variables. The C-19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Reasons for accepting or declining participation in the ASPRE trial: A qualitative study with women at high risk of preterm pre-eclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that affected the decision of pregnant women at high risk for pre-eclampsia (PE) in accepting or declining participation in a medicated clinical trial (ASPRE) for the prevention of preterm PE. METHOD: This was a qualitative, cross-sectional study. A purposive sample of 14 participants and 13 decliners of the ASPRE trial were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using template analysis. RESULTS: For participants, their high-risk status seems to have motivated them to take part in the trial. This was enabled by their perception that the trial drug aspirin was commonly used, the safety of the procedure, and the belief that they will be in receipt of extra monitoring in pregnancy. Decliners expressed discomfort about taking medications in pregnancy, and about the presence of the placebo arm; they seemed to be motivated by desire to reduce harm. Satisfaction with the information provided by the medical professionals was also influential in women's decision making, and so were the views of their partners and other trusted individuals. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women's motivation to take part or to decline participation in a medicated trail can be understood as an attempt to cope with the threat posed by their high-risk status.