@article{Kiani_P-2025_218374,
title = {The impact of fear of COVID-19 on mood and health during the first COVID-19 lockdown period in The Netherlands},
author = {Kiani, P. and Hendriksen, P. and Dijkgraaf, D. and Merlo, A. and Zijlstra, M. and Garssen, J. and Scholey, A. and Verster, J. and Bruce, G.},
month = {nov},
year = {2025},
abstract = {Background: Fear of COVID-19 has been associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes, yet evidence from The Netherlands is limited. This study investigated associations between fear of COVID-19, mood, quality of life, immune fitness, and related health variables during the first Dutch national lockdown and identified key predictors of fear.  Methods: In June–July 2020, n = 1020 Dutch adults completed an online survey assessing demographics, personality, mental resilience, pain sensitivity, pain catastrophizing, alcohol use, immune fitness, and mood. Retrospective ratings were provided for the pre-pandemic period (January–March 2020) and the first lockdown (March–May 2020). Fear of COVID-19 was measured using a modified Fear of COVID-19 Scale.  Results: Overall, 13.2% of participants reported significant fear of COVID-19, which was associated with poorer mood, reduced quality of life, lower immune fitness, more severe COVID-19 symptoms, greater pain sensitivity, and higher levels of pain catastrophizing. Regression analysis explained 19.6% of the variance, with pre-pandemic anxiety (8.7%) and poorer immune fitness (3.4%) as the strongest predictors of fear of COVID-19, followed by lower psychoticism, lower mental resilience, older age, greater helplessness, and greater extraversion.  Discussion: These findings suggest that a minority experienced high levels of fear of COVID-19 with substantial consequences, including negative effects on mood, immune fitness, and quality of life. The strong association with pre-existing anxiety and immune fitness highlights the need for early identification and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups to reduce psychological and physical health impacts in future public health crises.},
volume = {5},
issue = {11},
journal = {COVID},
publisher = {MDPI},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/covid5110186},
}
