%0 Journal Article
%T Exploring the Impact of Covid-19-Related Perceptions on Psychological Distress and Quality of Life in an International Gastrointestinal Cohort Over Time Guided by the Common Sense Model.
%A Knowles SR
%A Möller SP
%A Stengel A
%A Mikocka-Walus A
%A Ferreira N
%A Trindade IA
%A Mokrowiecka A
%A Burisch J
%A Barreiro-de Acosta M
%A Bernstein CN
%A Lo B
%A Skvarc D
%J J Clin Psychol Med Settings
%V 30
%N 4
%D 12 2023 24
%M 36692701
%F 1.977
%R 10.1007/s10880-023-09937-5
%X The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine changes in COVID-19 and illness-related perceptions, gastrointestinal symptoms, coping, catastrophising, psychological distress, and QoL during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 831 adults with a gastrointestinal condition completed an online questionnaire at baseline (May-October 2020). Of those, 270 (32.5%) participants (85.2% female, mean age = 47.3 years) provided follow-up data (March-May 2021). Repeated-measures multiple analysis of variance and a cross-lagged panel model were used to test the study hypotheses. Gastrointestinal symptoms and COVID-19 perceptions at follow-up were strongly predicted by their baseline values, while illness perceptions were predicted by baseline gastrointestinal symptoms. Cross-lagged relationships indicated a reciprocal relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms and psychological distress. Moreover, gastrointestinal symptoms had substantial predictive utility, strongly predicting future gastrointestinal symptoms, and to a lesser extent, more negative illness perceptions, greater psychological distress, and greater use of adaptive coping strategies across time.