Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; implications for adherence with lockdown advice

Koula Asimakopoulou; Vera Hoorens; Ewen  Speed; Neil Coulson; Dominika  Antoniszczak; Fran Collyer; Eliane  Deschrijver; Leslie Dubbin; Denise Faulks; Rowena Forsyth; Vicky Goltsi; Ivan  Harsløf; Kristian Larsen; Irene Manaras; Dorota  Olczak‐Kowalczyk; Karen Willis; Tatiana Xenou; Sasha Scambler

doi:10.1111/hex.13134

Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; implications for adherence with lockdown advice

Koula Asimakopoulou, Vera Hoorens, Ewen Speed, Neil Coulson, Dominika Antoniszczak , Fran Collyer, Eliane Deschrijver , Leslie Dubbin, Denise Faulks, Rowena Forsyth, Vicky Goltsi, Ivan Harsløf , Kristian Larsen, Irene Manaras, Dorota Olczak‐Kowalczyk , Karen Willis, Tatiana Xenou, Sasha Scambler

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Abstract

Background Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people’s health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Objectives Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people’s thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID‐19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID‐19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5‐8 of the UK COVID‐19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID‐19‐related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparatively pessimistic (ie thinking they were more at risk than others for developing COVID‐19‐related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion This is one of the first ever studies to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults’ thinking about COVID‐19.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1502-1511
Journal	Health Expectations
Volume	23
Issue number	6
Early online date	27 Sept 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13134
Publication status	Published - 21 Dec 2020

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Comparative optimism about infection_ASIMAKOPOULOU_Accepted6September2020Publishedonline27September2020_GOLD VoR (CC BY)Final published version, 750 KBLicence: CC BY

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Asimakopoulou, K., Hoorens, V., Speed, E., Coulson, N., Antoniszczak , D., Collyer, F., Deschrijver , E., Dubbin, L., Faulks, D., Forsyth, R., Goltsi, V., Harsløf , I., Larsen, K., Manaras, I., Olczak‐Kowalczyk , D., Willis, K., Xenou, T., & Scambler, S. (2020). Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; implications for adherence with lockdown advice. Health Expectations, 23(6), 1502-1511. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13134

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title = "Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; implications for adherence with lockdown advice",

abstract = "Background Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people{\textquoteright}s health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Objectives Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people{\textquoteright}s thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID‐19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID‐19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5‐8 of the UK COVID‐19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID‐19‐related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparatively pessimistic (ie thinking they were more at risk than others for developing COVID‐19‐related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion This is one of the first ever studies to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults{\textquoteright} thinking about COVID‐19.",

author = "Koula Asimakopoulou and Vera Hoorens and Ewen Speed and Neil Coulson and Dominika Antoniszczak and Fran Collyer and Eliane Deschrijver and Leslie Dubbin and Denise Faulks and Rowena Forsyth and Vicky Goltsi and Ivan Harsl{\o}f and Kristian Larsen and Irene Manaras and Dorota Olczak‐Kowalczyk and Karen Willis and Tatiana Xenou and Sasha Scambler",

year = "2020",

month = dec,

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doi = "10.1111/hex.13134",

language = "English",

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Asimakopoulou, K, Hoorens, V, Speed, E, Coulson, N, Antoniszczak , D, Collyer, F, Deschrijver , E, Dubbin, L, Faulks, D, Forsyth, R, Goltsi, V, Harsløf , I, Larsen, K, Manaras, I, Olczak‐Kowalczyk , D, Willis, K, Xenou, T & Scambler, S 2020, 'Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; implications for adherence with lockdown advice', Health Expectations, vol. 23, no. 6, pp. 1502-1511. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13134

TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; implications for adherence with lockdown advice

AU - Asimakopoulou, Koula

AU - Hoorens, Vera

AU - Speed, Ewen

AU - Coulson, Neil

AU - Antoniszczak , Dominika

AU - Collyer, Fran

AU - Deschrijver , Eliane

AU - Dubbin, Leslie

AU - Faulks, Denise

AU - Forsyth, Rowena

AU - Goltsi, Vicky

AU - Harsløf , Ivan

AU - Larsen, Kristian

AU - Manaras, Irene

AU - Olczak‐Kowalczyk , Dorota

AU - Willis, Karen

AU - Xenou, Tatiana

AU - Scambler, Sasha

PY - 2020/12/21

Y1 - 2020/12/21

N2 - Background Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people’s health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Objectives Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people’s thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID‐19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID‐19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5‐8 of the UK COVID‐19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID‐19‐related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparatively pessimistic (ie thinking they were more at risk than others for developing COVID‐19‐related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion This is one of the first ever studies to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults’ thinking about COVID‐19.

AB - Background Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people’s health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Objectives Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people’s thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID‐19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID‐19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5‐8 of the UK COVID‐19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID‐19‐related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparatively pessimistic (ie thinking they were more at risk than others for developing COVID‐19‐related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion This is one of the first ever studies to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults’ thinking about COVID‐19.

U2 - 10.1111/hex.13134

DO - 10.1111/hex.13134

M3 - Article

SN - 1369-6513

VL - 23

SP - 1502

EP - 1511

JO - Health Expectations

JF - Health Expectations

IS - 6

ER -

Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; implications for adherence with lockdown advice

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