AUTHOR=Yao Ying , Gong Wei Jie , Lai Agnes Yuen Kwan , Wu Yongda Socrates , Sit Shirley Man Man , Wang Man Ping , Ho Sai Yin , Lam Tai Hing 

TITLE=Associations of the perceived benefits and harms of COVID-19 with confidence in coping with the pandemic and mental health symptoms: a population-based survey in Hong Kong

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1175085

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1175085

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Introduction: Both perceived benefits and harms of COVID-19 have been reported, but whether they affect confidence in coping with the pandemic and mental health remains uncertain.
Objective: To examine the association of perceived benefits and harms of COVID-19 with confidence in coping with the pandemic and mental health symptoms.
Methods: A population-based survey was conducted on 7535 Hong Kong adults from 22 February to 23 March 2021, when the 4th wave of COVID-19 was under control. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, perceived benefits (10 options) and harms (12 options) of COVID-19, confidence in coping with the pandemic (range 0-10), loneliness (range 0-4), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorders-2, range 0-6) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2, range 0-6) was collected. Latent profile analysis was used to identify the combined patterns of perceived benefits and harms of COVID-19. The associations of combined patterns with confidence in coping with COVID-19, loneliness, anxiety, and depression were examined using linear regression ( coefficient) adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. 
Results: The combined patterns of perceived benefits and harms were classified into benefit (n=4338, 59.3%), harm (n=995, 14.0%), and ambivalent (n=2202, 26.7%) groups. Compared with the ambivalent group, the benefit group had a significantly higher level of confidence (adjusted  0.46, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.58), and lower levels of loneliness (-0.35, -0.40 to -0.29), anxiety (-0.67, 0.76 to -0.59), and depression (-0.65, -0.73 to -0.57). The harm group had a significantly lower level of confidence (-0.35, -0.53 to -0.16), and higher levels of loneliness (0.38, 0.30 to 0.45), anxiety (0.84, 0.73 to 0.96), and depression (0.95, 0.84 to 1.07). 
Conclusion: Perceived greater benefit from COVID-19 was associated with better mental health and stronger confidence in coping with the pandemic.