Revisiting Public Trust and Media Influence During COVID-19 Post-Vaccination Era—Waning of Anxiety and Depression Levels Among Skilled Workers and Students in Serbia

TL;DR

This study examines how trust in the healthcare system and media influence anxiety and depression among Serbian students and workers during the post-vaccination phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contribution

The study highlights the differential psychological impacts of the pandemic on students and workers in education, healthcare, and military sectors.

Findings

Students showed higher anxiety and depression levels and lower trust in preventive measures compared to non-students.

Education and healthcare workers experienced higher anxiety and depression than military personnel.

Medical doctors had higher and more improved trust in the healthcare system compared to nurses.

Abstract

Infectious disease outbreaks amplify the influence of stressors on psychological conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyze the disturbing influence of COVID-19 outbreak-related information and the influence of trust on the Serbian healthcare system and COVID-19 preventive measures on anxiety and depression. An anonymous online questionnaire assessing the demographic information, disturbance level and causes, and levels of anxiety and depression has been distributed to the participants, divided into student and non-student groups. The non-student group was further divided into healthcare, military, and education workers. Anxiety and depression levels, as well as the level of decreased trust in COVID-19-related preventive measures, were higher among students compared to non-students (p = 0.011). Higher anxiety and depression levels, and higher influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on those levels, were observed in education and healthcare workers, compared to military personnel. Medical doctors reported a higher level of trust in the healthcare system compared to nurses (p = 0.023). Trust in the healthcare system increased more frequently compared to the pre-vaccination period among medical doctors, compared to nurses (p = 0.040). Higher anxiety and depression and lower public trust levels in students and workers in education and the healthcare sector indicate a need to focus on these important society members during public health emergencies.

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