Mental Health Outcomes of COVID-19 Vaccination: Psychological Distress and Emotional Well-Being among Vaccinated Residents in Guangdong Province
Qiyi Wu, Jiaya Hong, Dong WangAbstract
Objective
This study investigates mental health outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination among Guangdong residents. It examines how vaccination affects anxiety, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and emotional well-being in vaccinated individuals, positioning post-vaccination mental health as the core outcome variable. The aim is to inform post-vaccination psychological support protocols.
Subjects and Methods
Data were collected from 225 vaccinated residents. Post-vaccination psychiatric assessments included: GAD-7 for anxiety, PHQ-9 for depression, PSS-4 for stress, WHO-5 for emotional well-being, and a Post-Vaccination Psychological Impact Scale measuring vaccination-related distress. SPSS and AMOS were used for regression and mediation analysis.
Results
Post-vaccination distress was significant: anxiety (GAD-7 ≥10) in 22.7%, depression (PHQ-9 ≥10) in 16.8%, and elevated stress (PSS-4 ≥8) in 31.2%. Emotional well-being was lower among distressed recipients (12.4±3.8 vs. 17.6±4.2, P<0.001). Vaccination-related distress—fear of side effects, health anxiety, somatic preoccupation—predicted depressive symptoms (β=0.38, P<0.001) and reduced well-being (β=−0.34, P<0.001). Perceived stress mediated the distress-depression relationship (indirect effect=0.29, 95% CI [0.19,0.39]). Younger age and pre-existing health anxiety were vulnerability factors.
Conclusions
COVID-19 vaccination is associated with significant mental health outcomes—anxiety, depression, stress, and reduced well-being—in a subset of recipients. Vaccination-related distress, mediated by stress, contributes to depressive symptoms. Recommendations include routine post-vaccination mental health screening, targeted support for distressed individuals, and public health communication normalizing vaccination-related anxiety. Future research should track mental health trajectories post-vaccination and develop protocols for managing vaccination-related distress in vulnerable populations.
Acknowledgements
This paper was supported by grants from the General Project of Ministry of Education Foundation on Humanities and Social Sciences (25YJAZH169), the Philosophy Social Science Foundation of Qinghai Province (24ZD008, 24YB039, 24QN067), the Education Scientific Planning Projects of Qinghai Province (24QJG82) and Guangzhou University Provincial Key College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (S202511078068, 202611078015).
Corresponding Author
Dong Wang, School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.