Stress and worry in the 2020 coronavirus pandemic: relationships to trust and compliance with preventive measures across 48 countries in the COVIDiSTRESS global survey
Authors: Lieberoth Andreas , Lin Shiang-Yi , Stöckli Sabrina , Han Hyemin , Kowal Marta , Gelpi Rebekah , Chrona Stavroula , Tran Thao Phuong , Jeftić Alma , Rasmussen Jesper , Cakal Huseyin , Milfont Taciano L. , Lieberoth Andreas , Yamada Yuki , Han Hyemin , Rasmussen Jesper , Amin Rizwana , Debove Stephane , Gelpí Rebekah , Flis Ivan , Sahin Hafize , Turk Fidan , Yeh Yao-Yuan , Ho Yuen Wan , Sikka Pilleriin , Delgado-Garcia Guillermo , Lacko David , Mamede Salomé , Zerhouni Oulmann , Tuominen Jarno , Bircan Tuba , Wang Austin Horng-En , Ikizer Gozde , Lins Samuel , Studzinska Anna , Cakal Huseyin , Uddin Muhammad Kamal , Juárez Fernanda Pérez-Gay , Chen Fang-Yu , Kowal Marta , Sanli Aybegum Memisoglu , Lys Agnieszka E. , Reynoso-Alcántara Vicenta , González Rubén Flores , Griffin Amanda M. , López Claudio Rafael Castro , Nezkusilova Jana , Ćepulić Dominik-Borna , Aquino Sibele , Marot Tiago A. , Blackburn Angélique M. , Boullu Loïs , Bavolar Jozef , Kacmar Pavol , Wu Charles K. S. , Areias João Carlos , Natividade Jean C. , Mari Silvia , Ahmed Oli , Dranseika Vilius , Cristofori Irene , Coll-Martín Tao , Eichel Kristina , Kumaga Raisa , Ermagan-Caglar Eda , Bamwesigye Dastan , Tag Benjamin , Chrona Stavroula , Contreras-Ibáñez Carlos C. , Aruta John Jamir Benzon R. , Naidu Priyanka A. , Tran Thao P. , Dilekler İlknur , Čeněk Jiří , Islam Md. Nurul , Ch'ng Brendan , Sechi Cristina , Nebel Steve , Sayılan Gülden , Jha Shruti , Vestergren Sara , Ihaya Keiko , Guillaume Gautreau , Travaglino Giovanni A. , Rachev Nikolay R. , Hanusz Krzysztof , Pírko Martin , West J. Noël , Cyrus-Lai Wilson , Najmussaqib Arooj , Romano Eugenia , Noreika Valdas , Musliu Arian , Sungailaite Emilija , Kosa Mehmet , Lentoor Antonio G. , Sinha Nidhi , Bender Andrew R. , Meshi Dar , Bhandari Pratik , Byrne Grace , Jeftic Alma , Kalinova Kalina , Hubena Barbora , Ninaus Manuel , Díaz Carlos , Scarpaci Alessia , Koszałkowska Karolina , Pankowski Daniel , Yaneva Teodora , Morales-Izquierdo Sara , Uzelac Ena , Lee Yookyung , Lin Shiang-Yi , Hristova Dayana , Hakim Moh Abdul , Deschrijver Eliane , Kavanagh Phillip S. , Shata Aya , Reyna Cecilia , De Leon Gabriel A. , Tisocco Franco , Mola Débora Jeanette , Shani Maor , Mahlungulu Samkelisiwe , Ozery Daphna Hausman , Caniëls Marjolein C. J. , Correa Pablo Sebastián , Ortiz María Victoria , Vilar Roosevelt , Makaveeva Tsvetelina , Stöckli Sabrina , Pummerer Lotte , Nikolova Irina , Bujić Mila , Szebeni Zea , Pennato Tiziana , Taranu Mihaela , Martinez Liz , Capelos Tereza , Belaus Anabel , Dubrov Dmitrii 
Published: February 2021

The COVIDiSTRESS global survey collects data on early human responses to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic from 173 429 respondents in 48 countries. The open science study was co-designed by an international consortium of researchers to investigate how psychological responses differ across countries and cultures, and how this has impacted behaviour, coping and trust in government efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Starting in March 2020, COVIDiSTRESS leveraged the convenience of unpaid online recruitment to generate public data. The objective of the present analysis is to understand relationships between psychological responses in the early months of global coronavirus restrictions and help understand how different government measures succeed or fail in changing public behaviour. There were variations between and within countries. Although Western Europeans registered as more concerned over COVID-19, more stressed, and having slightly more trust in the governments' efforts, there was no clear geographical pattern in compliance with behavioural measures. Detailed plots illustrating between-countries differences are provided. Using both traditional and Bayesian analyses, we found that individuals who worried about getting sick worked harder to protect themselves and others. However, concern about the coronavirus itself did not account for all of the variances in experienced stress during the early months of COVID-19 restrictions. More alarmingly, such stress was associated with less compliance. Further, those most concerned over the coronavirus trusted in government measures primarily where policies were strict. While concern over a disease is a source of mental distress, other factors including strictness of protective measures, social support and personal lockdown conditions must also be taken into consideration to fully appreciate the psychological impact of COVID-19 and to understand why some people fail to follow behavioural guidelines intended to protect themselves and others from infection. The Stage 1 manuscript associated with this submission received in-principle acceptance (IPA) on 18 May 2020. Following IPA, the accepted Stage 1 version of the manuscript was preregistered on the Open Science Framework at
https://osf.io/ytbcs
. This preregistration was performed prior to data analysis.