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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Psychiatry

The role of overgeneralized autobiographical memories and inflammatory markers in stress symptoms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Shuangshuang Wang1
  • Jianping Zhang2
  • Yangyang Liu3
  • Yansong Liu1
  1. 1Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University
  2. 2Suzhou Fifth People’s Hospital
  3. 3Guannan County First People’s Hospital
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Abstract

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of pandemic-related stress symptoms among frontline healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as the roles of overgeneralized autobiographical memory (OGM) and inflammatory markers in these symptoms.

Methods: Using convenience sampling, 52 frontline healthcare workers (exposure group) and 55 non-frontline healthcare workers (control group) who participated in COVID-19 prevention and control efforts at the Guannan Campus of Lianyungang First People’s Hospital between March 2020 and March were selected.Assessments were conducted using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-C), the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and serum levels of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured.Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and bootstrap stratified regression analysis.

Results: In the exposure group, significant differences compared to the control group were observed in PCL-C avoidance (Z = −1.984, P = 0.047), hypervigilance (Z = −2.020, P = 0.043), OGM total score (Z = −4.379, P < 0.001), IL-1β (Z = −2.029, P = 0.042), and CRP (Z = −2.605, P = 0.009), but not for the PCL-C total score, re-experiencing dimension, or IL-18. Both PCL-C avoidance and vigilance were positively correlated with the OGM total score (r = 0.447, P < 0.01) and CRP (r = 0.698, P < 0.01), but not with IL-1β (P > 0.05). Stratified regression showed significant associations of OGM total score and CRP with PCL-C vigilance (β = 0.299, P = 0.005; β = 0.587, P < 0.001) and avoidance (β = 0.302, P = 0.006; β = 0.660, P < 0.001), while IL-1β correlation was not significant (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: Frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic showed higher stress symptoms and elevated inflammatory markers, OGM and CRP, compared to a control group. OGM and CRP were linked to pandemic-related stress, while IL-1β, although elevated, lacked independent predictive power. CRP showed the strongest correlation with stress symptoms, suggesting it could be a key biological marker for understanding pandemic-related stress.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{wang2026role,
  title = {{The role of overgeneralized autobiographical memories and inflammatory markers in stress symptoms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic}},
  author = {Shuangshuang Wang and Jianping Zhang and Yangyang Liu and Yansong Liu},
  journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1990292},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1990292/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - The role of overgeneralized autobiographical memories and inflammatory markers in stress symptoms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic
AU  - Shuangshuang Wang
AU  - Jianping Zhang
AU  - Yangyang Liu
AU  - Yansong Liu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/06
JO  - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO  - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1990292
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1990292/full
AB  - Objective: To investigate the characteristics of pandemic-related stress symptoms among frontline healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as the roles of overgeneralized autobiographical memory (OGM) and inflammatory markers in these symptoms.  Methods: Using convenience sampling, 52 frontline healthcare workers (exposure group) and 55 non-frontline healthcare workers (control group) who participated in COVID-19 prevention and control efforts at the Guannan Campus of Lianyungang First People’s Hospital between March 2020 and March were selected.Assessments were conducted using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-C), the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and serum levels of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured.Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and bootstrap stratified regression analysis.  Results: In the exposure group, significant differences compared to the control group were observed in PCL-C avoidance (Z = −1.984, P = 0.047), hypervigilance (Z = −2.020, P = 0.043), OGM total score (Z = −4.379, P < 0.001), IL-1β (Z = −2.029, P = 0.042), and CRP (Z = −2.605, P = 0.009), but not for the PCL-C total score, re-experiencing dimension, or IL-18. Both PCL-C avoidance and vigilance were positively correlated with the OGM total score (r = 0.447, P < 0.01) and CRP (r = 0.698, P < 0.01), but not with IL-1β (P > 0.05). Stratified regression showed significant associations of OGM total score and CRP with PCL-C vigilance (β = 0.299, P = 0.005; β = 0.587, P < 0.001) and avoidance (β = 0.302, P = 0.006; β = 0.660, P < 0.001), while IL-1β correlation was not significant (P > 0.05).  Conclusion: Frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic showed higher stress symptoms and elevated inflammatory markers, OGM and CRP, compared to a control group. OGM and CRP were linked to pandemic-related stress, while IL-1β, although elevated, lacked independent predictive power. CRP showed the strongest correlation with stress symptoms, suggesting it could be a key biological marker for understanding pandemic-related stress.
SN  - 1664-0640
ER  -