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International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

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01-02-2022 | COVID-19 | Original Article

Validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale in a US College Sample

Authors: Catherine A. Perz, Brent A. Lang, Rick Harrington

Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | Issue 1/2022

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted college students’ coursework, stress levels, and perceived health. Various estimates indicate that high proportions of college students have experienced increased amounts of stress (Dziech, Inside Higher Education, 2020; Hartocollis, New York Times, 2020), yet other sources indicate that many college students respond to these changes with resilience (Kelley, Cornell Chronicle, 2020). A method for assessing student anxiety regarding the pandemic is thus needed. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) (Ahorsu et al., International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2020) is a seven-item scale which has been validated and shown to possess good psychometric qualities in studies of participants from multiple countries. The current study used a cross-sectional convenience sample of US college student participants (n = 237) and found that the FCV-19S has high reliability and validity as demonstrated by its internal consistency and strong one-factor solution. Scores on the FCV-19S were positively correlated with anxiety for students who were married or of Asian descent. Additionally, the FCV-19S was only moderately correlated with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7), suggesting that the FCV-19S may bring added utility to research and clinical practice with populations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Title: Validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale in a US College Sample
Authors: Catherine A. Perz
Brent A. Lang
Rick Harrington
Publication date: 01-02-2022
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: COVID-19
Anxiety
Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction / Issue 1/2022
Print ISSN: 1557-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00356-3

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Validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale in a US College Sample

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

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Abstract

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