COVID-19-related worries and mental health: the protective role of sense of coherence
AbstractBackground: Much of the literature related to mental health focuses on identifying risk factors and predictors of poor mental health. Less of the research has a health-promoting orientation, focusing on potential sources of resilience and strength.Aims: The current study contributes to the g...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311908.2024.2341507 |
| _version_ | 1797209918796726272 |
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| author | Anita Padmanabhanunni Serena Ann Isaacs Tyrone B. Pretorius |
| author_facet | Anita Padmanabhanunni Serena Ann Isaacs Tyrone B. Pretorius |
| author_sort | Anita Padmanabhanunni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractBackground: Much of the literature related to mental health focuses on identifying risk factors and predictors of poor mental health. Less of the research has a health-promoting orientation, focusing on potential sources of resilience and strength.Aims: The current study contributes to the growing field of positive psychology by investigating the potential protective role of sense of coherence (SOC) in the association between COVID-19-related worries and adverse mental health outcomes.Methods: Participants were South African undergraduate students (n = 337) who completed the SOC scale, COVID-19-related worries scale, Beck hopelessness scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies depression scale, and the trait scale of the state-trait anxiety inventory. We used the PROCESS macro for SPSS to examine the mediating role of SOC in the relationship between COVID-19-related worries and indices of mental health. The study was undertaking in the first and second waves of the COVID-19 disease outbreak in 2020.Results: T-test analyses found that women reported higher levels of depression and anxiety than men, and correlational analyses found a significant negative association between age and anxiety. After controlling for the confounding effects of age and gender, mediation analysis demonstrated that SOC had a direct and mediating effect on hopelessness, depression, and anxiety, suggesting that it is a potential protective resource. SOC is thus the pathway through which COVID-19-related worries impact mental health.Conclusion: Enhancing this resilience resource among vulnerable population groups can promote effective coping in the context of societal crises. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:02:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b8eaf6dfe2a94d099bba89f6e939ec93 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2331-1908 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:02:20Z |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b8eaf6dfe2a94d099bba89f6e939ec932024-04-13T10:25:01ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Psychology2331-19082024-12-0111110.1080/23311908.2024.2341507COVID-19-related worries and mental health: the protective role of sense of coherenceAnita Padmanabhanunni0Serena Ann Isaacs1Tyrone B. Pretorius2Department of Psychology, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South AfricaDepartment of Psychology, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South AfricaDepartment of Psychology, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South AfricaAbstractBackground: Much of the literature related to mental health focuses on identifying risk factors and predictors of poor mental health. Less of the research has a health-promoting orientation, focusing on potential sources of resilience and strength.Aims: The current study contributes to the growing field of positive psychology by investigating the potential protective role of sense of coherence (SOC) in the association between COVID-19-related worries and adverse mental health outcomes.Methods: Participants were South African undergraduate students (n = 337) who completed the SOC scale, COVID-19-related worries scale, Beck hopelessness scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies depression scale, and the trait scale of the state-trait anxiety inventory. We used the PROCESS macro for SPSS to examine the mediating role of SOC in the relationship between COVID-19-related worries and indices of mental health. The study was undertaking in the first and second waves of the COVID-19 disease outbreak in 2020.Results: T-test analyses found that women reported higher levels of depression and anxiety than men, and correlational analyses found a significant negative association between age and anxiety. After controlling for the confounding effects of age and gender, mediation analysis demonstrated that SOC had a direct and mediating effect on hopelessness, depression, and anxiety, suggesting that it is a potential protective resource. SOC is thus the pathway through which COVID-19-related worries impact mental health.Conclusion: Enhancing this resilience resource among vulnerable population groups can promote effective coping in the context of societal crises.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311908.2024.2341507Sense of coherenceCOVID-19-related worriespsychological distresshopelessnessdepressionanxiety |
| spellingShingle | Anita Padmanabhanunni Serena Ann Isaacs Tyrone B. Pretorius COVID-19-related worries and mental health: the protective role of sense of coherence Cogent Psychology Sense of coherence COVID-19-related worries psychological distress hopelessness depression anxiety |
| title | COVID-19-related worries and mental health: the protective role of sense of coherence |
| title_full | COVID-19-related worries and mental health: the protective role of sense of coherence |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19-related worries and mental health: the protective role of sense of coherence |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19-related worries and mental health: the protective role of sense of coherence |
| title_short | COVID-19-related worries and mental health: the protective role of sense of coherence |
| title_sort | covid 19 related worries and mental health the protective role of sense of coherence |
| topic | Sense of coherence COVID-19-related worries psychological distress hopelessness depression anxiety |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311908.2024.2341507 |
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