Mental Health among Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Investigation.

This study aimed to assess changes in COVID-19 related factors (i.e. risk perception, knowledge about the virus, preventive behaviors and perceived efficacy) and mental health (i.e. psychological distress and positive mental health), in a sample of Romanian young adults attending college, assessed immediately after the national COVID-19 lockdown ended (Time 1) and six months after the end of the lockdown (Time 2). We also evaluated the longitudinal relations between COVID-19 related factors and mental health. The sample consisted of 289 undergraduate students (89.3% female, Mage = 20.74, SD = 1.06), who completed questionnaires assessing mental health and COVID-19-related factors via two online surveys, six months apart. The results showed that perceived efficacy and preventive behaviors, as well as positive mental health, but not psychological distress, decreased significantly over the six months period. Risk perception and perceived efficacy of preventive behaviors at Time 1 were positively related with the number of preventive behaviors measured six months later. Risk perception at Time 1 and fear of COVID-19 at Time 2 predicted the mental health indicators at Time 2. Public-health strategies should find the right balance in cultivating proper levels of risk perception that would be most beneficial for prevention of COVID-19 spread and mental health problems due to pandemic.

The longitudinal relation between time perspective and preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of risk perception.

Understanding psychological factors and the mechanisms involved in compliance with recommended preventive behaviors against COVID-19 is important for effective public health strategies. Time perspective was previously linked with risk perception and health-related behaviors, but it has not been explored in the context of infectious diseases. Furthermore, little is known about the explaining mechanisms that may link time perspective with adoption of preventive behaviors against health threats. The aim of the present study was to examine the longitudinal relations between time perspectives and COVID-19 risk perception and preventive behaviors. Using a six-month longitudinal design, we explored the mediating role of risk perception on the relations between the Zimbardo's time perspectives, and preventive behaviors to protect from COVID-19. Time perspectives and COVID-19 risk perception were assessed after the lock-down (May 2020) and preventive behaviors were reported after six months (December 2020) via online surveys in a sample of 460 Romanian young adults, aged 18 to 66 years (Mage = 25.53, 87.8% women). Path analysis revealed that risk perception (i.e., perceived severity of COVID-19) mediated the relations of past negative, positive and negative future time perspectives with adoption of preventive behaviors. Our findings highlight that risk perception is an important mechanism in explaining the relation between time perspectives and preventive behaviors against major health-threats such as COVID-19.

Death Obsession, COVID-19-Related Fear and Religiosity in People Living with Type 2 Diabetes.

Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were included among high-risk groups for more severe manifestations in case of COVID-19 infection and higher risk of mortality. The current study aims to (1) examine the relationship between death obsession, religiosity, and fear of COVID-19 among type 2 diabetes patients, and (2) assess if religiosity moderates the relationship between death obsession and fear of COVID-19. This cross-sectional online survey involved 306 type 2 diabetes patients. We found that 35.6 % of the participants were overweight and 14.6 % were suffering from obesity. Results showed that death obsession was positively associated with fear of COVID-19 and more religious individuals experience higher levels of fear. The overall level of religiosity did not moderate the relationship between death obsession and fear of COVID-19 but only the preoccupation with God dimension of the religiosity scale. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Death anxiety and burnout in intensive care unit specialists facing the COVID-19 outbreak: The mediating role of obsession with COVID-19 and coronaphobia.

The aim of the study was to examine the role of the obsession with COVID-19 thoughts and coronaphobia in the relationship of death anxiety with burnout among staff working at infectious diseases hospitals in the front-line of the fight against COVID-19. A cross-sectional online survey (N = 110) was conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed that obsession with COVID-19 and coronaphobia mediated the relationship of death anxiety with burnout. Most of the participants reported higher levels of death anxiety compared with the general population and nurses reported higher levels of death anxiety than physicians.