Explanatory model of perceived stress in the general population: a cross-sectional study in Peru during the COVID-19 context

<b>Explanatory model of perceived stress in the general population: a cross-sectional study in Peru during the COVID-19 context</b><br><b>Background: </b>The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on mental health worldwide. A high prevalence of stress had been previously reported in populations during this context. Many theoretical frameworks had been proposed for explaining the stress process, we aim to propose an explanatory model for the genesis of perceived stress in the Peruvian general population.<br><b>Method: </b>We conducted an online survey in Peruvian general population assessing sociodemographic variables and evaluating mental health conditions by using The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and a numerical rating scale for fear of COVID-19. Correlation analysis was conducted for the variables of interest. Two regression models were constructed to explore related factors to the dimensions of perceived stress. Finally, a structural regression model was performed with the independent variables.<br><b>Results: </b>Data of 210 individuals was analyzed. Ages ranged from 15 to 74 years and 39% were women. Additionally, 65.2% of the participants had at least one mental health condition (depression, anxiety, or stress). Perceived self-efficacy and Positive Affect were correlated, as Perceived helplessness with Anxious symptoms and Negative affect. Regression analysis showed that sex, anxiety symptoms, and negative affect explained perceived helplessness while positive and negative affect explained self-efficacy. The structural regression model analysis identified that fear of COVID-19 (composed of fear of infecting others and fear of contagion), predicted mental health problems (i.e., anxiety and depression); and those were predicted by positive and negative affect. Perceived helplessness and Perceived self-efficacy were interrelated and represented the perceived stress variable.<br><b>Conclusions: </b>We proposed an explanatory model of perceived stress based on two correlated dimensions (self-efficacy and helplessness) in the Peruvian general population during the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with two out of three individuals surveyed have at least one mental health condition.<b><br></b><b>https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.673945</b>

**新冠疫情背景下秘鲁普通人群感知压力的解释模型：一项横断面研究**
**背景：** 新冠疫情（COVID-19 pandemic）对全球民众的心理健康造成了负面影响。此前已有研究报道，此疫情背景下的人群中普遍存在高患病率的压力症状。目前学界已提出诸多理论框架用以阐释压力产生的过程，本研究旨在为秘鲁普通人群的感知压力成因构建解释模型。
**方法：** 本研究针对秘鲁普通人群开展线上问卷调查，评估社会人口学变量，并采用感知压力量表（Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-10）、积极情感与消极情感量表（Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale, PANAS）、广泛性焦虑障碍量表（Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, GAD-7）、患者健康问卷（Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9）以及针对新冠疫情恐惧的数值评定量表，对受试者的心理健康状况进行评估。研究对目标变量开展相关性分析，构建了两个回归模型以探究感知压力维度的相关影响因素，最终基于自变量构建结构回归模型。
**结果：** 本研究共纳入210名受试者的数据分析，受试者年龄跨度为15至74岁，其中女性占比39%。此外，65.2%的参与者至少存在一种心理健康问题（抑郁、焦虑或压力）。分析显示，感知自我效能与积极情感呈相关关系，感知无助感则与焦虑症状及消极情感相关。回归分析结果表明，性别、焦虑症状与消极情感可解释感知无助感的变异，而积极与消极情感可解释自我效能的变异。结构回归模型分析发现，新冠疫情恐惧（由感染他人恐惧与感染恐惧两个维度构成）可预测心理健康问题（即焦虑与抑郁），而心理健康问题又受积极与消极情感的影响。感知无助感与感知自我效能相互关联，共同构成感知压力变量。
**结论：** 本研究构建了基于两个相关维度（自我效能与无助感）的秘鲁普通人群感知压力解释模型，该模型适用于新冠疫情背景下的人群；本次调研中，每三名受试者即有至少两名存在至少一种心理健康问题。
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.673945