| Abstract [eng] |
The link between attitudes towards vaccination, anxiety and depression. Žymantė Sakalauskaitė. Vilnius, Vilniaus university, 2022. 53p. General vaccination attitudes have been little studied during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the emotional difficulties experienced during this pandemic may have influenced the general approach to vaccination. The aim of this study was to analyse vaccination attitudes of the United Kingdom population, determine whether health anxiety, COVID-19-related anxiety, depressive symptoms, COVID-19 vaccination is related to vaccination attitudes. Study participants - 125 (59 women, 55 men, 2 non-binary, 9 decided not to disclose gender) 21 - 65 years old (M = 32.01; SD = 6.68) people based in the United Kingdom. Instruments: Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale, The Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), COVID-19 related questionnaire and demographics, research strategy - correlation study. Main results: increased health anxiety, COVID-19-related anxiety and depressive symptoms were associated with a negative vaccination attitude in a study sample. Participants who were diagnosed with COVID-19 expressed stronger preference for natural immunity, and participants, whose relatives were diagnosed with COVID-19, were more concerned about commercial profiteering. Participants who did not plan to be vaccinated against COVID-19 expressed more mistrust of vaccines benefits, concerns about commercial profiteering, and preference for natural immunity over those who were vaccinated or were planning to be vaccinated. The higher is the preference for natural immunity and the lower is the confidence in vaccine benefits, the greater is the likelihood that a person will not plan to be vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines in the study sample. The lower level of COVID-19-related anxiety, the greater is the likelihood that a participant will plan to be vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines. Conclusion: Negative vaccination attitudes were associated with COVID-19-related anxiety, health anxiety and depressive symptoms, while vaccination attitudes (like mistrust of vaccine benefit and preference of natural immunity) and COVID-19-related anxiety predict COVID-19 vaccination. |
