Longitudinal Study of Pandemic and Natural Disaster Distress

Recent research in New Zealand, Australia, China, and the United States finds that COVID-19 increased psychological distress as measured by the Kessler-6 inventory. It is theorised that health risks, loss of employment, and economic downturn precipitated by COVID-19 produced distress, and that confidence in government, social belonging, and sense of community may mitigate against pandemic distress. However, theories of pandemic distress mitigation remain untested. Here, we compare longitudinal responses from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS), March 26th to April 12th, 2020 (lockdown), with participants’ pre-COVID-19 baselines from the previous year (N=940) to investigate pandemic distress mechanisms during New Zealand's first stringent national lockdown.