Culture, Virus, Anxiety: Global Anxiety Level during the COVID-19 Pandemic Using a Cultural Lens

Abstract

The world average anxiety level has increased since the 2019 outbreak of the new coronavirus. Although there are many studies on pandemics and anxiety levels, few have examined predictors of anxiety during the pandemic and possible pathways of influence, specifically comparing regional differences under different cultural influences. This paper argues that culture and cognition as the two main predictors of rising global anxiety levels, as well as provides an analysis of panic buying as an example of maladaptive anxiety, through a re-analysis of the existing literature. The findings of the paper suggest that culture, especially when recruiting participants from multiple countries and regions, is an essential factor in conducting psychological research. One of the limitations of previous studies is the lack of data across all phases of COVID-19. Future research should conduct longitudinal studies to examine the dynamic changes over time. The results could contribute to the study of the mental health of culturally diverse groups affected by the pandemic.