Effects of anxiety sensitivity, disgust, and intolerance of uncertainty on the COVID stress syndrome: a longitudinal assessment of transdiagnostic constructs and the behavioural immune system

ABSTRACT

Excessive fear and worry in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., COVID stress syndrome) is prevalent and associated with various adverse outcomes. Research from the current and past pandemics supports the association between transdiagnostic constructs—anxiety sensitivity (AS), disgust, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU)—and pandemic-related distress. Recent research suggests a moderating effect of disgust on the relationship of AS-physical concerns and COVID-19-related distress, suggesting that transdiagnostic constructs underlie individual differences in activation of the behavioral immune system (BIS). No previous study has examined the independent and conjoint effects of pre-COVID-19 AS-physical concerns, disgust propensity (DP), disgust sensitivity (DS), and IU in this context; thus, we did so using longitudinal survey data (N = 3,062 Canadian and American adults) with simple and moderated moderations controlling for gender, mental health diagnosis, and COVID-19 diagnosis. Greater AS-physical concerns, DP, and DS predicted more severe COVID stress syndrome assessed one month later. Either DP or DS further amplified the effect of AS-physical concerns on COVID stress syndrome, except danger and contamination fears. IU did not interact with AS-physical concerns and DS or DP. Theoretical and clinical implications pertaining to delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy for pandemic-related distress are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• anxiety
• pandemics
• covid stress syndrome
• anxiety sensitivity
• disgust
• intolerance of uncertainty
• behavioral immune system

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Disclosure statement

Dr. McKay is Associate Editor of Behavior Therapy, Journal of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, and the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic. He receives royalties through his editorial work on the aforementioned journals, as well as from various book publishers. Dr. McKay also receives funding from a private investment company for the development of technology assisted methods for the treatment of fear of public speaking. Dr. Taylor receives financial support through royalties from various book publishers and from editorial duties as Associate Editor of the Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. Dr. Asmundson is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anxiety Disorders and of Clinical Psychology Review. He receives financial support through payments for his editorial work on the aforementioned journals and royalties from various book publishers.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (#439751) and the University of Regina.