Psychological correlates of COVID-19 vaccine attitudes among medical professionals: An exploratory data analysis
Background: The emotional dimension of vaccine acceptance is a critical factor in understanding healthcare workers’ behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess the relationship between emotional states—particularly anxiety-related feelings—and COVID-19 vaccination status among I...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Edizioni FS Publisher
2025-06-01
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| Series: | GIornale Italiano di Psicologia e Medicina del Lavoro |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://gipmel.it/wp-content/uploads/10.690882025PSYC6.pdf |
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| Summary: | Background: The emotional dimension of vaccine acceptance is a critical factor in understanding healthcare workers’ behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess the relationship between emotional states—particularly anxiety-related feelings—and COVID-19 vaccination status among Italian medical professionals.
Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from 160 healthcare workers who completed a structured questionnaire. The survey included demographic information, self-reported COVID-19 vaccination status (categorized as “Full vaccination,” “Second dose only,” “First dose only,” or “Not vaccinated”), and scores from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). For statistical purposes, vaccination status was numerically coded (1 = fully vaccinated; 0.5 = first dose only; 0 = not vaccinated) and dichotomized into “Vaccinated” (full vaccination) versus “Unvaccinated” (partial or no vaccination). Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data. Group comparisons of emotional responses were visualized using bar plots.
Results: Most participants were fully vaccinated. Vaccination status was positively correlated with positive emotional states such as calmness, safety, satisfaction, and relaxation. Conversely, it was negatively associated with anxiety-related emotions, including tension, nervousness, fear, and worry.
Group comparisons showed that fully vaccinated individuals reported greater emotional well-being, while unvaccinated participants experienced higher levels of distress and psychological discomfort. Although some differences were moderate in size, the overall trend indicated a link between
vaccination and lower levels of COVID-19-related anxiety.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that emotional well-being and anxiety levels are associated with COVID-19 vaccination status. Individuals with lower anxiety and greater emotional stability were more likely to be vaccinated. This may reflect either a psychological predisposition favoring vaccine uptake or a beneficial psychological effect of vaccination itself. Further longitudinal or experimental studies are needed to determine the direction of causality. Addressing emotional and psychological factors could enhance public health efforts to reduce vaccine hesitancy among healthcare professionals. |
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| ISSN: | 2785-1338 |