ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has not only brought the risk of death but has brought unbearable psychological pressures to the people. Mental health of COVID patients is expected to be affected by the continuous spread of the pandemic. This study aims to find the mediating role of coping styles in the relationship between life orientation and psychological distress among COVID recovered patients. It was hypothesized that: life orientation is likely to have a relationship with coping; coping is likely to have a relationship with psychological distress and coping is likely to mediate the relationship between life orientation and psychological distress among patients recovered from COVID. For this purpose, 378 COVID-10 recovered patients' men (190) and women (188). Urdu translations of the Life Orientation scale revised, Brief Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced (COPE) and Impact of event scales were used to collect data. Results show that emotion-focused and avoidant coping mediate the relationship between life orientation and psychological distress. The research has implications for mental health practitioners and individuals dealing with health-related issues.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To find the moderating role of social support and creative coping, and the mediating role of cyberchondria in relationship between fear of coronavirus disease-2019 and stress in university students. METHODS: The correlational study was conducted at the Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan, between May and September 2020, and comprised students regardless of gender and age from different public and private universities across Pakistan. Data was collected online using Fear of Coronavirus Disease-2019 Scale, Cyberchondria Severity Scale, Creative Coping Strategies Scale, Social Support Survey, Perceived Stress Scale and Perception of Academic Stress Scale. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: Of the 205 subjects, 83(40.5%) were males and 122(59.5%) were females. The overall mean age was 21.22±1.84 years. Fear of coronavirus disease-2019 had significant positive relationship with cyberchondria, and cyberchondria had significant positive relationship with creative coping and academic stress (p<0.05). Social support had significant negative relationship with general stress (p<0.05). There was significant interaction among fear of coronavirus disease-2019, creative coping, social support and cyberchondria in predicting general stress (p<0.05). Fear of coronavirus disease-2019 alone did not predict stress (p>0.05), but it significantly predicted cyberchondria which, in turn, predicted stress (p<0.05). Creative coping and social support significantly moderated the relationship involving fear of coronavirus disease-2019, cyberchondria and general stress (p<0.05). The female subjects utilised more creative coping strategies, received more social support, and had higher levels of general stress compared to the males (p<0.05), while the male subjects had more mistrust on medical professionals (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings are important for students, parents and teachers to understand the role of social support to reduce the fear of coronavirus disease-2019.