ABSTRACT
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., COVID-19) led to the death of more than 6 million individuals globally. This viral infection manifests differently in individuals, with some experiencing mild symptoms and others experiencing severe symptoms that result in hospitalization or even death. Survivors of COVID-19 may recover in days, while others experience prolonged symptoms for weeks or months after initial illness manifestation (Navabi, 2020). These prolonged symptoms, termed "long-covid," can be continuous or relapsing and remitting and may be new or the same symptoms of acute COVID-19 (Raveendran et al., 2021). Research on chronic illness indicates that individuals with chronic health conditions experience higher rates of depression and anxiety, which are associated with reduced quality of life (QoL;Gerontoukou, 2015;National Institute of Mental Health, 2021;Obo et al., 2014). Long-covid patients also experience increased rates of depression and anxiety and decreased QoL (Frontera et al., 2021;Ismael et al., 2021;Ma et al., 2020;Mendez et al., 2021;Talman et al., 2021;Temperoni et al., 2021). However, resilience (i.e., successfully adapting to adversity;VandenBos, 2007), can protect against the harmful psychological effects of chronic illness (Manning et al., 2016). Specifically, grit, social support, and optimism are associated with better mental health outcomes in chronic illness populations (Ratajska et al., 2020;Sharkey et al., 2018;Zenger et al., 2010). Another important component of adjustment to chronic illness is cognitive appraisal of illness, which can facilitate or impede mental health outcomes in patients. Illness intrusiveness (II;i.e., disruption of lifestyles, activities, and interests) and illness uncertainty (IU;i.e., cognitive experience where illness outcomes are unpredictable and ambiguous) are both associated with poorer adjustment to chronic illness and poor mental health and QoL outcomes (Devins, 1994;Gromisch et al., 2019;Pai et al., 2006;Schiele et al., 2019;Szulczewski et al., 2017). However, research suggests that resilience variables can decrease II and IU (Carroll & Arthur, 2010;Neri et al., 2011;Sajjadi et al., 2015). The current study examined the resilience variables of grit, optimism, and social support and their effect on anxiety, depression, and QoL. Mediators of II and IU were assessed. A total of 217 long-covid patients recruited through snowball sampling were asked to complete questionnaires measuring the related constructs. It was hypothesized that resiliency would be negatively associated with poor mental health outcomes and positively associated with QoL. It was also hypothesized that II and IU would mediate these relationships. The data was analyzed using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS by Andrew Hayes. Results indicated that social support and optimism were negatively associated with anxiety and depression and positively associated with QoL. Grit was negatively associated with anxiety and depression but did not influence QoL outcomes. IU and II were negatively associated with grit, social support, and optimism. There was partial support for IU mediating the relationships between grit and anxiety and depression, social support and anxiety and depression, and optimism and anxiety. IU did not mediate the relationship between optimism and depression. II did not mediate the relationships between grit and anxiety and depression, social support and anxiety and depression, and optimism and anxiety and depression. II and IU fully mediated the relationship between grit and QoL and social support and QoL. There was partial mediation for II and IU between optimism and QoL. These results were discussed in terms of effective interventions for reducing negative outcomes in long-covid patients. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., COVID-19) led to the death of more than 6 million individuals globally. This viral infection manifests differently in individuals, with some experiencing mild symptoms and others experiencing severe symptoms that result in hospitalization or even death. Survivors of COVID-19 may recover in days, while others experience prolonged symptoms for weeks or months after initial illness manifestation (Navabi, 2020). These prolonged symptoms, termed "long-covid," can be continuous or relapsing and remitting and may be new or the same symptoms of acute COVID-19 (Raveendran et al., 2021). Research on chronic illness indicates that individuals with chronic health conditions experience higher rates of depression and anxiety, which are associated with reduced quality of life (QoL;Gerontoukou, 2015;National Institute of Mental Health, 2021;Obo et al., 2014). Long-covid patients also experience increased rates of depression and anxiety and decreased QoL (Frontera et al., 2021;Ismael et al., 2021;Ma et al., 2020;Mendez et al., 2021;Talman et al., 2021;Temperoni et al., 2021). However, resilience (i.e., successfully adapting to adversity;VandenBos, 2007), can protect against the harmful psychological effects of chronic illness (Manning et al., 2016). Specifically, grit, social support, and optimism are associated with better mental health outcomes in chronic illness populations (Ratajska et al., 2020;Sharkey et al., 2018;Zenger et al., 2010). Another important component of adjustment to chronic illness is cognitive appraisal of illness, which can facilitate or impede mental health outcomes in patients. Illness intrusiveness (II;i.e., disruption of lifestyles, activities, and interests) and illness uncertainty (IU;i.e., cognitive experience where illness outcomes are unpredictable and ambiguous) are both associated with poorer adjustment to chronic illness and poor mental health and QoL outcomes (Devins, 1994;Gromisch et al., 2019;Pai et al., 2006;Schiele et al., 2019;Szulczewski et al., 2017). However, research suggests that resilience variables can decrease II and IU (Carroll & Arthur, 2010;Neri et al., 2011;Sajjadi et al., 2015). The current study examined the resilience variables of grit, optimism, and social support and their effect on anxiety, depression, and QoL. Mediators of II and IU were assessed. A total of 217 long-covid patients recruited through snowball sampling were asked to complete questionnaires measuring the related constructs. It was hypothesized that resiliency would be negatively associated with poor mental health outcomes and positively associated with QoL. It was also hypothesized that II and IU would mediate these relationships. The data was analyzed using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS by Andrew Hayes. Results indicated that social support and optimism were negatively associated with anxiety and depression and positively associated with QoL. Grit was negatively associated with anxiety and depression but did not influence QoL outcomes. IU and II were negatively associated with grit, social support, and optimism. There was partial support for IU mediating the relationships between grit and anxiety and depression, social support and anxiety and depression, and optimism and anxiety. IU did not mediate the relationship between optimism and depression. II did not mediate the relationships between grit and anxiety and depression, social support and anxiety and depression, and optimism and anxiety and depression. II and IU fully mediated the relationship between grit and QoL and social support and QoL. There was partial mediation for II and IU between optimism and QoL. These results were discussed in terms of effective interventions for reducing negative outcomes in long-covid patients. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)