ABSTRACT
Background: To examine mental health during COVID-19 peaks, lockdown, and times of curfew, many studies have used the LPA/LCA person-centered approach to uncover and explore unobserved groups. However, the majority of research has focused only on negative psychological concepts to explain mental health. In this paper, we take another perspective to explore mental health. In addition, the study focuses on a period of peak decline in the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: The present paper aim (a) empirically identifies different profiles among a cohort of Facebook users in Tunisia based on positive factors of mental health using a person-centered approach, (b) outline identified profiles across sociodemographic, internet use, and physical activity, and (c) establish predictors of these profiles. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected through an online survey among 950 Facebook users were female (n = 499; 52.53%) and male (n = 451; 47.47) with an average age =31.30 ± 9.42. Subjects filled Arabic version of Satisfaction with Life Scale, Scale of Happiness (SWLS), Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the Spirituel Well-Being Scale (SWBS). Results: The LPA results revealed three clusters. The first cluster (n = 489, 51,47%) contains individuals who have low scores on the positive psychology scales. The second cluster (n = 357, 37,58%) contained individuals with moderate positive psychology scores. However, a third cluster (n = 104, 10,95%) had high positive psychology scores. The selected variables in the model were put to a comparison test to ensure that the classification solution was adequate. Subsequently, the clusters were compared for the variables of socio-demographics, use of the internet for entertainment and physical activity, the results showed significant differences for gender (low mental well-being for the female gender), socio-economic level (low for the low-income class), and physical activity (low mental well-being for the non-exerciser). However, no significant differences were found for the variables age, location, and use of the Internet for entertainment. Conclusion: Our results complement person-centered studies (LPA/LCA) related to the COVID-19 pandemic and can serve researchers and mental health practitioners in both diagnostic and intervention phases for the public. In addition, the GQ6 scale is a valid and reliable tool that can be administered to measure gratitude for culturally similar populations.
ABSTRACT
Aims: To identify the impact of the information consumption modalities related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccine, on the vaccination decision among the social media users. Also to study the relationships between vaccination attitudes, and latent subgroups, socio-demographic variables, fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress. Method: A total of 723 subjects (male: n = 353; 48.8%; female: n = 370; 51.2%), aged 31.08 ± 10.77, participated in our survey prepared online on the Google Forms application via the platforms Twitter and Facebook. Results: Five latent classes were identified by the analysis: Class 1 (mixed consumers), class 2 (the largest consumers of social media), class 3 (consumers of official information), class 4 (low consumers of information on the vaccine) and class 5 (social media consumers information verifiers). Also, the subgroup that is knowledgeable about COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccine, and who consumes the most information about the vaccine from official sources, is the one with the highest vaccine acceptance rate. In addition, the hesitant attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine was linked to gender and mask wearing, while refusal behavior was linked to age, female gender, education level, mask wearing, and fear of COVID-19. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that specific interventions on social media are needed, to reduce hesitancy rates, and the refusal of vaccination, which is crucial in this period of prevailing of COVID-19 virus.