This paper is part of the larger ['Policing the pandemic' longitudinal study](https://osf.io/4vje3/).
Code for the data analysis behind this paper can be found on GitHub here: https://github.com/maczokni/foc19analysis
This paper discusses worry about COVID-19, distinguishing between “functional fear” (which motivates people into taking necessary precautions) and “dysfunctional fear" (which erodes quality of life). We draw on work in fear of crime literature and analyse data from waves 2 and 3 of the ['Policing the pandemic' longitudinal study](https://osf.io/4vje3/) to classify people into: (1) the unworried, (2) the functionally worried (adaptive emotions encourage proactive behaviours to reduce the chance of infection) and (3) the dysfunctionally worried (quality of life is damaged by the emotional experience or taking ineffective or damaging precautions).