The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic is a collective stressor unfolding over time; yet, rigorous empirical studies addressing its mental health consequences among large probability-based national samples are rare. Between 18 March and 18 April 2020, as illness and death escalated in the United States, we assessed acute stress, depressive symptoms, and direct, community, and media-based exposures to COVID-19 in three consecutive representative samples from the U.S. probability-based nationally representative NORC AmeriSpeak panel across three 10-day periods (total N = 6514). Acute stress and depressive symptoms increased significantly over time as COVID-19 deaths increased across the United States. Preexisting mental and physical health diagnoses, daily COVID-19–related media exposure, conflicting COVID-19 information in media, and secondary stressors were all associated with acute stress and depressive symptoms. Results have implications for targeting public health interventions and risk communication efforts to promote community resilience as the pandemic waxes and wanes over time.

COVID-19（2019年冠状病毒病）大流行是随着时间推移而出现的集体压力源; 然而，在基于大概率的国家样本中，针对其心理健康后果进行严格的实证研究很少。在2020年3月18日至4月18日之间，由于美国疾病和死亡人数的增加，我们从美国的以下三个连续代表性样本中评估了急性压力，抑郁症状以及直接，社区和基于媒体的COVID-19暴露：在三个为期10天的期间内，由全国代表委员会（NORC AmeriSpeak）组成（总N= 6514）。随着时间的流逝，随着美国各地COVID-19死亡人数的增加，急性压力和抑郁症状也显着增加。先前存在的心理和身体健康诊断，每天与COVID-19相关的媒体暴露，媒体中与COVID-19相关的信息冲突以及继发性应激源均与急性应激和抑郁症状相关。随着大流行随着时间的流逝逐渐消退，结果对于目标在于公共卫生干预措施和风险沟通工作以提高社区的适应力具有影响。