Neuropsychology Technician Massachusetts General Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States
Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused societal disruption and increased anxiety. Given the association between anxiety and cognitive functioning, we examined whether COVID-19 related anxiety shows an association with perceived cognitive functioning.
Method: The survey sample included 753 men residing in the United States (Age: mean=51.3, SD=10.8, IQR=42-59, range=35-79). Data were collected during the first two weeks of July 2020 via Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) as part of a broader study relating to men’s brain health. The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) was used to assess COVID-19 related anxiety. Participants responded to questions designed to assess health conditions, treatment history, and perceived cognitive functioning.
Results: A greater proportion of men with COVID-19 related anxiety endorsed difficulties with cognitive functioning than those who did not in response to the following prompts: difficulty with concentration (42.1% vs. 7.1%; χ2=99.30, p< 0.001, Cramer’s V=0.36), memory (24.2% vs.7.4% ; χ2=26.98, p< 0.001, Cramer’s V=0.19), or ability to think logically (21.1% vs. 3.0%; χ2=53.55, p< 0.001, Cramer’s V=0.27) over the past week. Men endorsing COVID-19 related anxiety also reported physical problems (i.e., body pain, headaches, migraines, and sleep disturbance) and symptoms of psychological distress (i.e., depression, hopelessness, and suicidality) at higher rates than men who did not.
Conclusions: Men with COVID-19 related anxiety endorsed perceived cognitive difficulties, physical problems, and psychological distress at considerably higher rates than men without COVID-19 related anxiety. The extent to which perceived cognitive difficulties manifest on objective cognitive testing is unknown and represents a possible area for future research.
