Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
Psychophysiology. 2021 Nov;58(11):e13910. doi: 10.1111/psyp.13910. Epub 2021 Jul 30.
Despite the unfolding impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being, there is a lack of prospective studies that target physiological markers of distress. There is a need to examine physiological predictors from the pre-pandemic period to identify and treat individuals at-risk. In this study, our aim was to use pre-pandemic markers of autonomic nervous system (ANS) parasympathetic and sympathetic regulation to predict individuals' psychological well-being during the crisis. We also assessed the role of mood regulation expectancies as a mediator of the association between pre-pandemic physiological measures and COVID-related well-being. In May to June 2020, 185 Israeli adults completed online questionnaires assessing their mood regulation expectancies since COVID-19 began, and their current well-being. These individuals had participated in lab studies 1.5-3 years prior to this assessment, where their physiological measures were taken, including respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance level (SCL). RSA was positively related to mood regulation expectancies during COVID-19 (b = 3.46, 95% CI [0.84, 6.05]). Mood regulation expectancies, in turn, positively predicted well-being during the crisis (b = 0.021, 95% CI [0.016, 0.027]). The mediation was significant and moderated by SCL (index = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.02, -0.0001]), such that it was strongest for individuals with low SCL. We point to pre-pandemic physiological mechanisms underlying individuals' mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings have theoretical, diagnostic, and clinical implications that may refine our understanding of the physiological basis of resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic and thus may be implemented to identify and assist individuals in these times.
尽管 COVID-19 大流行对心理健康的影响正在显现，但缺乏针对压力生理标志物的前瞻性研究。有必要从大流行前时期检查生理预测指标，以识别和治疗高危个体。在这项研究中，我们的目的是使用自主神经系统（ANS）副交感和交感调节的大流行前标志物来预测个体在危机期间的心理健康。我们还评估了情绪调节预期作为大流行前生理测量与 COVID 相关幸福感之间关联的中介作用。在 2020 年 5 月至 6 月期间，185 名以色列成年人完成了在线问卷调查，评估了他们自 COVID-19 开始以来的情绪调节预期以及他们目前的幸福感。这些个体在该评估前 1.5-3 年参加了实验室研究，在此期间对他们的生理指标进行了测量，包括呼吸窦性心律失常（RSA）和皮肤电导水平（SCL）。RSA 与 COVID-19 期间的情绪调节预期呈正相关（b=3.46，95%CI [0.84, 6.05]）。情绪调节预期反过来又积极预测了危机期间的幸福感（b=0.021，95%CI [0.016, 0.027]）。这种中介作用是显著的，并且受到 SCL 的调节（指标=-0.09，95%CI [-0.02, -0.0001]），对于 SCL 较低的个体来说更为强烈。我们指出了 COVID-19 大流行期间个体心理健康的大流行前生理机制。这些发现具有理论、诊断和临床意义，可以深化我们对 COVID-19 大流行中韧性的生理基础的理解，从而可以用于识别和帮助这些时期的个体。
