Self-affirmation is known to buffer the development of anxiety symptoms into depressive symptoms, and a study during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a role for this self-affirmation. In Japan, the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred repeatedly, and at this point (November 16, 2022), prior to an eighth wave. The possibility of ameliorating the psychological effects of this prolonged COVID-19 pandemic through efficient interventions targeting self-affirmation will be examined.

Study dates: June 25, 2020; September 25, 2020; February 10, 2021; November 24, 2021; February 7, 2022; August 31, 2022

Survey participants: Registered monitors of the research company (Neo Marketing Co., Ltd.) Each 1,000 respondents

Questionnaire:

1. 1) Attributes: gender, age, region, number of family members

2. 2) DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21)

3. 3) LSNS-6 (the Lubben Social Network Scale-6)

4. 4) Self-affirmation

CIPS (Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale)

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Japanese version)

The self-affirmation scale (CIPS; Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) was measured from the 4th to the 6th survey.

Contribution of each factor to depressive symptoms:

The DASS-21 Depressive Symptom Scores from the 4th through 6th surveys were examined using Prediction One with the DASS-21 Anxiety Symptom Score, DASS-21 Stress Score, Connections Score, Rosenberg, and CIPS score as factors to determine their contribution.

At the time of the second survey (September 25, 2020), DASS-21 scores peaked and then declined. CIPS and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale scores showed no change from the 4th to the 6th session. The result of contribution of each factor to depressive symptoms by Prediction One showed anxiety symptoms contributed the most to depressive symptoms.

A model in which self-affirmation prevents anxiety symptoms from progressing to depressive symptoms is reasonable until the 7th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.