Longitudinal changes of COVID-19 vaccine-related health beliefs and associations with psychopathology in Germany
Background: Vaccination is among the most effective measures to prevent fatal disease outcomes of COVID-19. However, coverage has mostly fallen short of intended goals, and evidence on psychological determinants within certain high-risk groups (e.g., individuals with mental disorders) are inconclusi...
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Langue: | anglais |
| Publié: |
22 April 2026
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| In: |
Current psychology
Year: 2026, Volume: 45, Numéro: 8, Pages: 1-14 |
| ISSN: | 1936-4733 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12144-026-09360-7 |
| Accès en ligne: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-026-09360-7
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| Notes sur l'auteur: | Daniel Huth, Sylvan Germer, Michael Witthöft, Anne-Kathrin Bräscher |
| Résumé: | Background: Vaccination is among the most effective measures to prevent fatal disease outcomes of COVID-19. However, coverage has mostly fallen short of intended goals, and evidence on psychological determinants within certain high-risk groups (e.g., individuals with mental disorders) are inconclusive. This study aimed to examine the courses of COVID-19 vaccine-related health beliefs and their associations with psychopathology. Methods: We conducted a 16-wave longitudinal study from December 2020 to November 2022 assessing N = 1865 participants of the adult general population in Germany. Linear mixed-effects models were employed to examine courses of health beliefs (i.e., perceived risk and fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccine-specific beliefs) and associations with diagnostic status, depressive, anxiety, and somatic symptoms, as well as health anxiety. Results: Pandemic-related threat appraisals showed significant changes over time, with perceived risk and fear of infection exhibiting notable fluctuations. In contrast, vaccine-specific beliefs remained relatively stable. We observed few practically meaningful between-person associations between specific psychopathological characteristics and health beliefs that diverged in terms of their favorability toward vaccination, but meaningful within-person associations were largely absent. Individuals with a mental disorder at study entry reported a significantly lower perceived risk of infection. Conclusions: The study revealed differential courses of COVID-19 vaccine-related health beliefs. Psychopathological characteristics play, at most, only a subordinate role in affecting vaccine-related health beliefs. Still, individuals with mental disorders should have been targeted more explicitly by public health interventions to foster awareness of their heightened risk. |
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| Description: | Online veröffentlicht: 22. April 2026 Gesehen am 09.06.2026 |
| Description matérielle: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1936-4733 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12144-026-09360-7 |