{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,9]],"date-time":"2026-05-09T02:48:16Z","timestamp":1778294896787,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,18]],"date-time":"2022-08-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1660780800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures are affecting mental health, especially among patients with pre-existing mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the first wave and its aftermath of the pandemic in Germany (March\u2013July) on psychopathology of patients diagnosed with panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobia who were on the waiting list or in current treatment at a German university-based outpatient clinic. From 108 patients contacted, forty-nine patients (45.37%) completed a retrospective survey on COVID-19 related stressors, depression, and changes in anxiety symptoms. Patients in the final sample (n = 47) reported a mild depression and significant increase in unspecific anxiety (<jats:italic>d<\/jats:italic> = .41), panic symptoms (<jats:italic>d<\/jats:italic> = .85) and specific phobia (<jats:italic>d<\/jats:italic> = .38), while social anxiety remained unaltered. Pandemic related stressors like job insecurities, familial stress and working in the health sector were significantly associated with more severe depression and increases in anxiety symptoms. High pre-pandemic symptom severity (anxiety\/depression) was a risk factor, whereas meaningful work and being divorced\/separated were protective factors (explained variance: 46.5% of changes in anxiety and 75.8% in depressive symptoms). In line with diathesis-stress models, patients show a positive association between stressors and symptom load. Health care systems are requested to address the needs of this vulnerable risk group by implementing timely and low-threshold interventions to prevent patients from further deterioration.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0272215","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,18]],"date-time":"2022-08-18T17:39:38Z","timestamp":1660844378000},"page":"e0272215","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Impact of COVID-19 pandemic related stressors on patients with anxiety disorders: A cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6729-956X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Till","family":"Langhammer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carlotta","family":"Peters","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Ertle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7986-4113","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kevin","family":"Hilbert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ulrike","family":"Lueken","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0272215.ref001","article-title":"Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response.","author":"JJV Bavel","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat Hum Behav."},{"issue":"April","key":"pone.0272215.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102258","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2020.102258","article-title":"Fear of the coronavirus (COVID-19): Predictors in an online study conducted in March 2020.","volume":"74","author":"G Mertens","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Anxiety Disord"},{"key":"pone.0272215.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102066","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajp.2020.102066","article-title":"COVID-19 and mental health: A review of the existing literature.","volume":"52","author":"RP Rajkumar","year":"2020","journal-title":"Asian J Psychiatry."},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0272215.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e100213","DOI":"10.1136\/gpsych-2020-100213","article-title":"A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: implications and policy recommendations.","volume":"33","author":"J Qiu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Gen Psychiatry."},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0272215.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17051729","article-title":"Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China.","volume":"17","author":"C Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0272215.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2020.11.117","article-title":"Prevalence of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"281","author":"T Wu","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"pone.0272215.ref007","article-title":"Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.","author":"DF Santomauro","year":"2021","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0272215.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1802","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm9061802","article-title":"The Enemy Which Sealed the World: Effects of COVID-19 Diffusion on the Psychological State of the Italian Population.","volume":"9","author":"G Forte","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Clin Med."},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0272215.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1763","DOI":"10.1007\/s10902-016-9797-y","article-title":"Subjective Well-Being During the 2008 Economic Crisis: Identification of Mediating and Moderating Factors.","volume":"18","author":"G Gonza","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Happiness Stud."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0272215.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1093\/oep\/gpr051","article-title":"The financial crisis and the well-being of Americans.","volume":"64","author":"A. 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