RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Veterans and Nonveterans Coping With Stress During 4 Months of COVID-19
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 508
OP 516
DO 10.1370/afm.3046
VO 21
IS 6
A1 Butler, Jorie M.
A1 Wang, Xuechen
A1 Riddoch, Marian
A1 Thorpe, Alistair
A1 Stevens, Vanessa
A1 Scherer, Laura D.
A1 Drews, Frank A.
A1 Shoemaker, Holly
A1 Fagerlin, Angela
YR 2023
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/21/6/508.abstract
AB PURPOSE Identifying how people have been coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic allows us to anticipate how the population may react to similar stressors over time. In this study, we assessed patterns of coping styles among veterans and nonveterans, and stability and change in these strategies at 3 time points during the pandemic.METHODS Using an online survey platform, we circulated a questionnaire at 3 time points during the period when COVID-19 vaccines became widely available (December 2-27, 2020; January 21-February 6, 2021; and March 8-23, 2021). The questionnaire asked participants about their extent of use of 11 coping strategies, and symptoms of anxiety and depression.RESULTS A total of 2,085 participants (50.8% veterans) completed the questionnaire at 1 or more time points and 930 participants (62.8% veterans) completed it at all 3 time points. Cluster analysis identified 3 distinct coping styles: adaptive, distressed, and disengaged. Compared with nonveterans, veterans more commonly had adaptive and disengaged coping styles, and less commonly had a distressed coping style. The majority of the cohort (71.3%) changed coping style at least once during the study period. Participants who used the same coping style across all 3 time points reported lower levels of anxiety and depression.CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate a need to better understand the dynamic nature of coping with pandemic-level stressors across time. We did not find patterns of change in coping styles, but our findings point to potential advantages of stability in coping style. It is possible that less adaptive styles that are more stable may be advantageous for mental health. This research has implications for supporting patients dealing with stress in family medicine.