The Dynamics of Aggression and Anxiety during Disasters (a Case Study of Three Waves of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Russia)

Over two years have passed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and by now enough data have been accumulated on its psychological effects and mental health disorders in different countries. In this study, we present self-reported data collected from 7,450 participants during the three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia from May 2020 to July 2021. These data have been compared with the pre-pandemic data on 480 participants. The study aimed to trace the dynamics of aggressive and anxious behavior during the three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to the data from the pre-pandemic period. Three questionnaires were used to measure behavior in this study, namely: the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI). Sex differences in aggression and anxiety levels were demonstrated. The reduction in anxiety levels during COVID-19 waves may indicate that people had generally adapted to the stressful situation. All four scales show the highest level of aggression before the pandemic compared to any of the three waves. It is important to emphasize the discovered association between all types of aggression and anxiety, as individuals with high anxiety levels also scored higher on aggression scales, especially on the anger scale