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Table 5 Factors associated with high psychological distress among the study population (based on K10 score)

From: Factors associated with psychological distress, fear and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia

Characteristics

Moderate to Very High (score 16–50), n(%)

Low (score 10–15), n(%)

Unadjusted analyses

Adjusted analyses

p

OR

95% CIs

p

AOR

95% CIs

Total study participants

341

205

      

Age groups

313

187

      

 18–29 years

72 (23.0)

25 (13.4)

 

1

  

1

 

 30–59 years

224 (71.6)

139 (74.3)

0.023

0.56

0.34–0.92

0.358

0.75

0.41–1.37

 60+ years

17 (5.4)

23 (12.3)

0.001

0.26

0.12–0.56

0.010

0.29

0.11–0.74

Gender

341

205

      

 Male

106 (31.1)

98 (47.8)

 

1

  

1

 

 Female

235 (68.9)

107 (52.2)

0.000

2.03

1.42–2.90

0.009

1.74

1.15–2.65

Living status

339

205

      

 Live without family members (on your own/shared house/others)

87 (25.7)

36 (17.6)

 

1

  

1

 

 Live with family members (partner and/or children)

252 (74.3)

169 (82.4)

0.029

0.62

0.40–0.95

0.210

0.71

0.41–1.22

Born in Australia

342

205

      

 No

200 (58.5)

126 (61.5)

 

1

  

1

 

 Yes

142 (41.5)

79 (38.5)

0.491

1.13

0.79–1.61

0.623

1.12

0.70–1.80

Completed level of education

342

205

      

 Grade 1–12

43 (12.6)

26 (12.7)

 

1

  

1

 

 Trade/Certificate/Diploma

62 (18.1)

22 (10.7)

0.129

1.7

0.86–3.39

0.106

1.89

0.87–4.09

 Bachelor and above

237 (69.3)

157 (76.6)

0.734

0.91

0.54–1.55

0.974

1.01

0.52–1.95

Current employment condition

326

195

      

 Unemployed/Home duties

44 (13.5)

19 (9.7)

 

1

  

1

 

 Jobs affected by COVID-19 (lost job/working hours reduced/afraid of job loss)

59 (18.1)

22 (11.3)

0.693

1.16

0.56–2.40

0.948

1.02

0.46–2.32

 Have an income source (employed/Government benefits)

223 (68.4)

154 (79.0)

0.110

0.63

0.35–1.11

0.113

0.59

0.30–1.14

Perceived distress due to change of employment status

118

33

      

 A little to none

27 (22.9)

10 (30.3)

 

1

  

1

 

 Moderate to a great deal

91 (77.1)

23 (69.7)

0.383

1.47

0.62–3.45

0.399

1.58

0.55–4.54

Self-identification as a frontline or essential service worker

342

205

      

 No

213 (62.3)

101 (49.3)

 

1

  

1

 

 Yes

129 (37.7)

104 (50.7)

0.003

0.59

0.41–0.83

0.032

0.64

0.42–0.96

COVID-19 impacted financial situation

341

205

      

 No

137 (40.2)

91 (44.4)

 

1

  

1

 

 Yes

204 (59.8)

114 (55.6)

0.334

1.19

0.84–1.69

0.534

1.14

0.76–1.72

Co-morbidities

342

205

      

 No

169 (49.4)

104 (50.7)

 

1

  

1

 

 Psychiatric/Mental health issues

36 (10.5)

5 (2.4)

0.003

4.43

1.69–11.7

0.029

3.13

1.12–8.75

 Other co-morbidities*

137 (40.1)

96 (46.8)

0.476

0.88

0.61–1.26

0.613

1.11

0.73–1.69

Smoking

267

158

      

 Never smoker

226 (84.6)

144 (91.1)

 

1

  

1

 

 Ever smoker (Daily/Non-daily/Ex)

41 (15.4)

14 (8/9)

0.054

1.87

0.98–3.55

0.054

2.03

0.99–4.17

Increased smoking over the last 4 weeks

41

14

      

 No

22 (53.7)

12 (85.7)

 

1

  

1

 

 Yes

19 (46.3)

2 (14.3)

0.046

5.18

1.03–26.1

0.042

8.66

1.08–69.1

Current alcohol drinking (last 4 weeks)

341

205

      

 No

206 (60.4)

138 (67.3)

 

1

  

1

 

 Yes

135 (39.6)

67 (32.7)

0.106

1.35

0.94–1.94

0.196

1.35

0.85–2.15

Increased alcohol drinking over the last 4 weeks

134

65

      

 No

84 (62.7)

54 (83.1)

 

1

  

1

 

 Yes

50 (37.3)

11 (16.9)

0.004

2.92

1.40–6.11

0.038

2.39

1.05–5.47

Provided care to a family member/patient with known/suspected case of COVID-19

321

195

      

 No

281 (82.2)

170 (82.9)

 

1

  

1

 

 Yes

61 (17.8)

35 (17.1)

0.820

1.05

0.67–1.67

0.841

1.05

0.63–1.76

Experience related to COVID-19 pandemic

342

205

      

 I have been self-isolating prior to receiving negative result for COVID-19

52 (15.2)

19 (9.3)

0.048

1.76

1.01–3.06

0.082

1.75

0.93–3.30

Healthcare service use in the last 4 weeks

342

205

      

 No

255 (74.6)

178 (86.8)

 

1

  

1

 

 Visited healthcare providers in person

47 (13.7)

17 (8.3)

0.028

1.93

1.07–3.47

0.983

1.01

0.30–3.41

 Telehealth consultation with healthcare providers/National helpline

40 (11.7)

10 (4.9)

0.005

2.79

1.36–5.73

0.408

0.46

0.07–2.93

Level of fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S categories)

342

205

      

 Low (score 7–21)

207 (60.5)

166 (81.0)

 

1

  

1

 

 High (score 22–35)

135 (39.5)

39 (19.0)

0.000

2.78

1.84–4.19

0.000

2.93

1.83–4.67

Level of coping (BRCS categories)

342

205

      

 Low resilient copers (score 4–13)

333 (97.4)

200 (97.6)

 

1

  

1

 

 Medium to high resilient copers (score 14–20)

9 (2.6)

5 (2.4)

0.89

1.08

0.36–3.27

0.741

1.22

0.38–3.87

Healthcare service use to overcome COVID-19 related stress in the last 4 weeks

342

205

      

 No

306 (89.5)

203 (99.0)

 

1

  

1

 

 Yes

36 (10.5)

2 (6.9)

0.001

11.9

2.84–50.1

0.004

20.2

2.64–154

  1. Adjusted for: age, gender, living status, born in Australia, education and employment
  2. * Cardiac diseases/Stroke/Hypertension/Hyperlipidaemia/Diabetes/Cancer/Chronic respiratory illness
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