Psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic normalization phase in China: A multigroup latent profile analysis among healthcare workers and the general population

The COVID-19 pandemic is no longer considered a “global public health emergency”; nonetheless, it has left a long-lasting effect on people's mental health. Existing studies examined the impact of COVID-19 on people's mental health; however, most of these investigations were carried out during the acute phase. This study addresses the gaps in knowledge regarding the psychological distress experienced by healthcare workers and the general population in China during the normalization period, as well as the shared and distinct associated factors. Data were collected in March 2022. Five hundred and three healthcare workers and 307 general individuals participated. Online questionnaires were administered. Collected data for mental health indices included depression, anxiety, insomnia, and resilience. Various statistical analyses were conducted, including independent sample t-tests, chi-square tests, one-way analyses of variance, multigroup latent profile analyses, and multinomial logistic regression analyses. Healthcare workers had lower prevalence rates of depression and anxiety and a higher level of resilience than the general population. Latent profile analyses suggested four profiles based on levels of psychological distress (i.e., low, mild, moderate, and high) derived from four indices (i.e., depression, anxiety, insomnia, and resilience). The person-centered approach revealed that the general population had more individuals in moderate and high distress classes and fewer in the mild distress class. Healthy lifestyles, past mental health issues, and epidemic burnout were common influencing factors for both groups. However, epidemic uncertainty was identified as the distinct contributing factor for the general population. Directions for future research and interventions are discussed.