%0 Journal Article
%T A longitudinal study of risk and protective factors for symptoms of adjustment disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
%A Lotzin A
%A Stahlmann K
%A Acquarini E
%A Ajdukovic D
%A Ajdukovic M
%A Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous X
%A Ardino V
%A Bondjers K
%A Bragesjö M
%A Böttche M
%A Dragan M
%A Figueiredo-Braga M
%A Gelezelyte O
%A Grajewski P
%A Javakhishvili JD
%A Kazlauskas E
%A Lenferink L
%A Lioupi C
%A Lueger-Schuster B
%A Mooren T
%A Sales L
%A Tsiskarishvili L
%A Novakovic IZ
%A Schäfer I
%A  
%J Eur J Psychotraumatol
%V 15
%N 1
%D 2024
%M 38644753
%F 5.783
%R 10.1080/20008066.2024.2318944
%X Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused multiple stressors that may lead to symptoms of adjustment disorder.Objective: We longitudinally examined relationships between risk and protective factors, pandemic-related stressors and symptoms of adjustment disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as whether these relationships differed by the time of assessment.Method: The European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) ADJUST Study included N = 15,169 participants aged 18 years and above. Participants from 11 European countries were recruited and screened three times at 6-month intervals from June 2020 to January 2022. Associations between risk and protective factors (e.g. gender), stressors (e.g. fear of infection), and symptoms of adjustment disorder (AjD, ADNM-8) and their interaction with time of assessment were examined using mixed linear regression.Results: The following predictors were significantly associated with higher AjD symptom levels: female or diverse gender; older age; pandemic-related news consumption >30 min a day; a current or previous mental health disorder; trauma exposure before or during the pandemic; a good, satisfactory or poor health status (vs. very good); burden related to governmental crisis management and communication; fear of infection; restricted social contact; work-related problems; restricted activity; and difficult housing conditions. The following predictors were associated with lower AjD levels: self-employment or retirement; working in healthcare; and face-to-face contact ≥ once a week with loved ones or friends. The effects of the following predictors on AjD symptoms differed by the time of assessment in the course of the pandemic: a current or previous mental disorder; burden related to governmental crisis management; income reduction; and a current trauma exposure.Conclusions: We identified risk factors and stressors predicting AjD symptom levels at different stages of the pandemic. For some predictors, the effects on mental health may change at different stages of a pandemic.<BR>We longitudinally examined predictors of symptoms of adjustment disorder in 15,563 adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.We found stressors, risk, and protective factors predicting adjustment disorder symptom levels at different stages of the pandemic.For some predictors, the effects appear to change in different phases of a pandemic.