COVID on the Brain: Anxiety Sensitivity and Mindful Awareness Mediate the Relationship between COVID-19 Obsession and Anxiety

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has produced a global mental health crisis and many individuals have obsessive thoughts and worry about COVID-19 which may, both directly and indirectly, relate to more general anxiety. This study explored anxiety sensitivity and mindful awareness as mediators in the relationship between COVID-19 obsession and general anxiety. College student participants (N = 172) completed the Obsession with COVID-19 scale, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, the awareness subscale of the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. Process was used to test a mediational model. We found both anxiety sensitivity and mindful awareness to be significant mediators such that COVID-19 obsession predicted increased anxiety sensitivity which predicted decreased mindful awareness which, in turn, predicted increased general anxiety. These results demonstrate that anxiety about COVID-19 increases awareness and worry surrounding one’s physical and mental state which lead to a decrease in mindful awareness. Our findings identify mechanisms by which worry about COVID-19 may be leading to increased general anxiety and can be used to inform mindfulness interventions to help prevent these negative effects.