Responsible tourists in the time of Covid-19?

COVID-19 effectively stopped tourism mobilities for a time. Theoretically, this qualitative study draws on the notion of responsibility, as in responsibility to act and responsibility to Otherness. We explore how, during the pandemic, Norwegian tourists dealt with infection preventive measures, how they changed travel habits and how the pandemic transformed their thinking on tourism and climate change. The tourists were loyal citizens adhering to the authorities' measures and refrained from international holidays, thereby taking responsibility for the governmentally enforced dugnad (collective efforts). This temporal change in travel habits, however, was not expected to become the new normal, as warmer, southern destinations were still desired. Culturally embedded neoliberal values of freedom of movement were, for most of these tourists, stronger than the threat of climate crisis. Fatalistically, we conclude that COVID-19 did not have the power to transform their mind-sets regarding responsible tourism futures and free them from neoliberal shackles. © The Author(s) 2023.

University Students' Life Stressors and Mental Health in Georgia and German-Speaking Switzerland

Background: The university years are associated with a variety of stressors, and recently, COVID-19 has presented an additional burden on students' mental well-being. As mental health manifestations of stressors may differ between countries, this study compared students from Switzerland and the Republic of Georgia regarding the burden of stressors and the role of potentially culture-dependent risk and protective factors of mental health (i.e., help-seeking, cross-cultural coping, fatalism, sense of coherence). Method: We assessed two samples of university students in Georgia (N = 425) and German-speaking Switzerland (N = 298), using a cross-sectional design. Quantitative data were collected with online questionnaires during the third wave of the pandemic. Mental health screenings included measures of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder. Results: General life- and COVID-19-related stress levels were higher in Georgia than in Switzerland. Georgian students experienced more adjustment disorder symptoms but lower levels of depression and anxiety. While Swiss students reported more protective factors (formal and informal help-seeking, sense of coherence), Georgian students experienced more risk factors (fatalism and avoidance coping). Despite significant correlations between potentially culture-dependent risk and protective factors and mental health, few associations remained significant above and beyond the impact of general life stress. Conclusions: The high prevalence of stressors and adjustment disorder symptoms and risk factors for mental health among Georgian students illustrates a potential need for psychosocial support with stress management. The cross-cultural applicability of Western models of student mental health services should be evaluated. © 2023 Hogrefe Publishing.

University students' life stressors and mental health in Georgia and German-speaking Switzerland: Exploring the role of fatalism, sense of coherence, cross-cultural coping, and help-seeking

Background: The university years are associated with a variety of stressors, and recently, COVID-19 has presented an additional burden on students' mental well-being. As mental health manifestations of stressors may differ between countries, this study compared students from Switzerland and the Republic of Georgia regarding the burden of stressors and the role of potentially culture-dependent risk and protective factors of mental health (i.e., help-seeking, cross-cultural coping, fatalism, sense of coherence). Method: We assessed two samples of university students in Georgia (N = 425) and German-speaking Switzerland (N = 298), using a cross-sectional design. Quantitative data were collected with online questionnaires during the third wave of the pandemic. Mental health screenings included measures of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder. Results: General life- and COVID-19-related stress levels were higher in Georgia than in Switzerland. Georgian students experienced more adjustment disorder symptoms but lower levels of depression and anxiety. While Swiss students reported more protective factors (formal and informal help-seeking, sense of coherence), Georgian students experienced more risk factors (fatalism and avoidance coping). Despite significant correlations between potentially culture-dependent risk and protective factors and mental health, few associations remained significant above and beyond the impact of general life stress. Conclusions: The high prevalence of stressors and adjustment disorder symptoms and risk factors for mental health among Georgian students illustrates a potential need for psychosocial support with stress management. The cross-cultural applicability of Western models of student mental health services should be evaluated. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement The agenda of global mental health calls for addressing prevention and quality gaps, although achieving this aim is not possible if the divergent needs of specific populations, among them young people, are not studied and considered. This study explores the mental health stressors and needs of university students and compares Swiss and Georgian students' potentially culture-dependent risk and protective factors. Needs-based tailored interventions could be developed based on the findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

I need some answers, now!: Present time perspective is associated with holding conspiracy beliefs

Because conspiracy theories have many negative consequences, understanding the psychological factors underlying their endorsement is an important task for researchers. We examined whether people's time perspective (TP)-the tendency to focus on the certain aspects of the past, present, or future-is associated with conspiracy beliefs. In two studies we investigated general (Study 1;N = 263) and COVID-19 related (Study 2;N = 570) conspiracy theories. The most consistent finding was the positive correlation between two present TPs: hedonism and fatalism and the endorsement of conspiracy ideations. Moreover, we found that hostility and a tendency toward irrational thinking mediated these associations. Additionally, but only in Study 2, conspiracy beliefs were associated with higher levels of the Past Negative TP and less balanced TP. We conclude that conspiracy theories provide simple and immediate answers of important events and that is why they are attractive to present oriented people who look for immediate explanations of complex and difficult situations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Fatalism, beliefs, and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Little is known about how people's beliefs concerning the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) influence their behavior. To shed light on this, we conduct an online experiment ( n = 3 , 610 ) with US and UK residents. Participants are randomly allocated to a control group or to one of two treatment groups. The treatment groups are shown upper- or lower-bound expert estimates of the infectiousness of the virus. We present three main empirical findings. First, individuals dramatically overestimate the dangerousness and infectiousness of COVID-19 relative to expert opinion. Second, providing people with expert information partially corrects their beliefs about the virus. Third, the more infectious people believe that COVID-19 is, the less willing they are to take protective measures, a finding we dub the "fatalism effect". We develop a formal model that can explain the fatalism effect and discuss its implications for optimal policy during the pandemic.

Unlocking infodemics and mysteries in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Nexus of conspiracy beliefs, digital informational support, psychological Well-being, and religious fatalism.

Guarding against an anti-science camouflage within infodemics is paramount for sustaining the global vaccination drive. Vaccine hesitancy remains a growing concern and a significant threat to public health, especially in developing countries. Infodemics, conspiracy beliefs and religious fatalism primarily fuel vaccine hesitancy. In addition, anti-vaccine disinformation, lack of understanding, and erroneous religious beliefs also trigger vaccine hesitancy. Global behavioral strategies such as wearing face masks and long-term preventive measures (i.e., COVID-19 vaccination) have effectively limited the virus's spread. Despite the alarming rate of global deaths (i.e., over 99% being unvaccinated), a large proportion of the global population remains reluctant to vaccinate. New evidence validates the usefulness of technology-driven communication strategies (i.e., digital interventions) to address the complex socio-psychological influence of the pandemic. Hence, the present research explored the digital information processing model to assess the interface between informational support (through digital interventions) and antecedents of vaccine hesitancy. This research involved two separate studies: a focus group to operationalize the construct of infodemics, which remained ambiguous in previous literature (Study 1), followed by a cross-sectional survey (Study 2) to examine the conceptual model. Data were collected from 1906 respondents through a standard questionnaire administered online. The focus group's findings revealed a multi-dimensional nature of infodemics that was also validated in Study 2. The cross-sectional survey results substantiated infodemics, religious fatalism and conspiracy beliefs as significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Similarly, conspiracy beliefs negatively influence an individual's psychological well-being. Furthermore, information support (through digital intervention) affected infodemics and religious fatalism, whereas it inversely influenced the strength of their relationships with vaccine hesitancy. Information support (through digital intervention) also moderated the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and psychological well-being.

How Does Digital Media Search for COVID-19 Influence Vaccine Hesitancy? Exploring the Trade-off between Google Trends, Infodemics, Conspiracy Beliefs and Religious Fatalism.

Digital media has remained problematic during COVID-19 because it has been the source of false and unverified facts. This was particularly evident in the widespread misinformation and confusion regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Past research suggested infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism as potential threats to public COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, the literature is primarily void of empirical evidence associating demographic attributes with efforts to build vaccine hesitancy. Therefore, this research uses two studies: (Study 1) Google Trends and (Study 2) survey method to provide inclusive empirical insight into public use of digital media during COVID-19 and the detrimental effects of infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism as they were related to building COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Using Google Trends based on popular keywords the public searched over one year, Study 1 explores public digital media use during COVID-19. Drawing on this exploration, Study 2 used a cross-sectional national representative survey of 2120 adult Pakistanis to describe the influence of potential hazards such as infodemics on public vaccine hesitancy. Study 2 revealed that infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism predict vaccine hesitancy. In addition, gender moderates the relationship between infodemics and conspiracy beliefs and vaccine hesitancy. This implies that there is a dispositional effect of the infodemics and conspiracy beliefs spread digitally. This study's findings benefit health and other concerned authorities to help them reduce religious fatalism, vaccine hesitancy, and conspiracy theories with targeted communication campaigns on digital media.

Luck perception is associated with less frequent preventive practices and a higher number of social contacts among adults during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Objectives: Non-pharmaceutical interventions have been crucial to reduce transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in many countries including the United Kingdom. A key research priority has been to better understand psychological and social determinants of health behaviours. We aimed to quantify the impact of luck perception on contact and preventive behaviours among adults in the UK, adjusting for key confounders. Study design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: Data were collected between July 28 and August 31, 2020. Luck perception, which refers to a belief whether individual's SARS-CoV-2 infection status is determined by fate or chance, was measured using Chance score, drawing on Health Locus of Control Theory. Self-reporting online questionnaires were administered to obtain participants' contact patterns and frequencies of avoiding crowds, hand washing and wearing a mask. Associations between luck perception and protective behaviours and contact patterns were quantified using regression models. Results: Data from 233 survey respondents were analysed. Chance score was negatively associated with all protective behaviours; avoiding crowds (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25-0.86, p = 0.02), washing hands (aOR 0.35, 95%CI 0.17-0.70, p = 0.003), and wearing masks (aOR 0.58, 95%CI 0.34-0.99, p = 0.046). For non-physical contacts (with or without distancing), a significant interaction was identified between Chance score and ethnicity. Chance score increased the number of non-physical contacts among white British, an opposite trend was observed for non-white participants. Conclusions: Luck perception during the pandemic may affect individuals' health protection behaviours and contact patterns. Further mechanistic understandings of human behaviours against infectious diseases are indispensable for effective response to future pandemics.

Investigating the Impacts of Information Overload on Psychological Well-being of Healthcare Professionals: Role of COVID-19 Stressor.

While past research has focused on the benefits of social media during pandemics, this study emphasizes the possible negative effects of social media use among healthcare professionals. It has been stated that healthcare professionals are exposed to COVID-19 and its impacts on the mental health of these workers. Even though recognizing the importance of healthcare professionals during the pandemic, the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare professionals have been rarely considered for investigation by researchers. By applying differential susceptibility to the media effects model (DSMM), the current article investigated the effect of COVID-19 information overload (CIO) on psychological and mental well-being and underline mechanisms. Time-wave technique was applied to collect the data. This study tested moderated mediation model by collecting data from 314 healthcare professionals. The findings stated that COVID-19 information overload impacted COVID-19 fatalism and COVID-19 exhaustion directly. Likewise, COVID-19 fatalism mediated the association between CIO and COVID-19 exhaustion. Moreover, the COVID-19 stressor moderated this mediating relationship. This study proposes several practical recommendations for healthcare professionals, social media platform providers, health authorities, organizations, and institutions on how to use social media effectively and sustainably during the global COVID-19 epidemic.

The association between immigrant Muslim Arab women's health beliefs, knowledge, fatalism, modesty, perceived spousal support and their mammogram utilizations: A mixed- methods approach

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among females in the United States. Substantial evidence has shown that regular mammogram screenings are effective for early BC detection and mortality reduction. Immigrant Muslim Arab women (IMAW), however, are less likely to be engaged in breast cancer screening (BCS), particularly mammogram screening. Few studies have explored factors associated with low mammogram utilization among IMAW. Additionally, all have overlooked an important factor-a husband's influence in adherence to mammography screenings. In Arab and Muslim cultures, a husbands' influence and responsibilities extends to their wives' healthcare-seeking behaviors, thus becoming an important factor in a woman's health status.Developing and implementing a qualitative and quantitative mixed-method study sought: 1) to investigate associations between levels of IMAW's health beliefs, BC knowledge, BC fatalism, modesty, perceived spousal support, and receiving physician recommendations and mammogram utilization;and 2) to better understand IMAW's experiences and perceptions of spousal influence on mammogram utilization within their sociocultural context. The quantitative portion of the study was guided by the health beliefs model utilizing online surveys in Arabic and English. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, a convenience sample was recruited using social media methods. Independent variables measured five scales: 1) perceived spousal support, 2) modified Powe fatalism inventory, 3) modesty measure for Muslim women, 4) BC knowledge, and 5) Champion breast health beliefs. Questions regarding receiving a health care providers' (HCPs) recommendation for mammography was measured by self-report. Logistic regression explored relationships between independent variables and two outcomes: 1) ever had a mammogram, and 2) had a mammogram in the past two years.Guided by symbolic interactionism, the qualitative portion of the study was conducted on a purposive sample of IMAW. A semi-structured interview guide in Arabic and English was used during the one-on-one interviews. Arabic interviews were translated into English and then transcribed by professional employees. Interviews were analyzed utilizing thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2008). ATLAS.ti was used for the data analysis.The 184 IMAW participants in the quantitative study had an average age of 50 years (SD = 3.5, range = 45-58 years);86.6% reported having at least one mammogram in their lifetime, and 32.6% within the past two years. In bivariate analyses, perceived self-confidence, BC knowledge, receiving HCP recommendation, and perceived spousal support were positively associated with both outcomes (having had a mammogram and having one in the past two years). Whereas, perceived mammogram barriers was negatively associated with both outcomes. Perceived mammogram benefits was positively associated with only having had a mammogram within the past two years. In the final multivariate model, level of knowledge and perceived mammogram barriers retained the significant prediction of both outcomes, and receiving HCP recommendation of having had a mammogram.The 20 qualitative interviews, 16 in Arabic and four in English, produced five themes: (1) types of husbands' support experienced by IMAW;(2) the impact of husbands' support on their wives' attitudes about mammograms;(3) the importance of husbands' support for mammogram use;(4) reasons behind inadequate husbands' support;and (5) notions of "individual and collective duty" of enhancing husbands' support.Implications.Investigating factors influencing IMAW's BC screening behaviors has resulted in important findings that can guide medical providers and nurses to a better understating of the factors influencing IMAW's health-seeking behaviors and thus assist in positive BC screening behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The links among relative financial scarcity, thinking style, fatalism, and well-being.

In the present research, we examined the links among relative financial scarcity, thinking style, fatalism, and well-being and their roles in predicting protective behaviors against COVID-19. Study 1 (N = 120) revealed that after an experimental manipulation to induce the perception of relative financial scarcity (versus financial abundance), people who perceived higher relative financial scarcity changed their thinking style to a more concrete mindset. In Study 2 (N = 873), the relative financial abundance-scarcity situation was measured, and the results showed that the greater the perceived relative financial scarcity was, the more concrete the mindset and the lower the sense of well-being. Importantly, we found that individuals who felt poorer but maintained an abstract thinking style reported higher well-being. Study 3 (N = 501) examined the influence of a concrete thinking style in people who perceived that their economic situation had worsened with the pandemic. The results showed that when this vulnerable population presented a more concrete mindset, they reported lower well-being, higher fatalism, and lower protective behavior against COVID-19. Thus, maintaining an abstract mindset promotes higher well-being, lower fatalism, and greater protective behaviors against COVID-19, even under economic difficulties. Because thinking style can be modified, our results encourage the development of new social intervention programs to promote an abstract mindset when people face important challenges.

I need some answers, now!: Present time perspective is associated with holding conspiracy beliefs

Because conspiracy theories have many negative consequences, understanding the psychological factors underlying their endorsement is an important task for researchers. We examined whether people's time perspective (TP) – the tendency to focus on the certain aspects of the past, present, or future – is associated with conspiracy beliefs. In two studies we investigated general (Study 1;N = 263) and COVID-19 related (Study 2;N = 570) conspiracy theories. The most consistent finding was the positive correlation between two present TPs: hedonism and fatalism and the endorsement of conspiracy ideations. Moreover, we found that hostility and a tendency toward irrational thinking mediated these associations. Additionally, but only in Study 2, conspiracy beliefs were associated with higher levels of the Past Negative TP and less balanced TP. We conclude that conspiracy theories provide simple and immediate answers of important events and that is why they are attractive to present oriented people who look for immediate explanations of complex and difficult situations.

Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Its Related Factors in the General Population of Tehran and Kermanshah

Background and Objectives: Vaccine acceptance could seriously affect global efforts to control the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to estimate the Covid-19 vaccine acceptance and its related factors in Tehran and Kermanshah. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 850 participants in Tehran and Kermanshah using the random digit dialing method. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio of factors related to vaccine acceptance. Results: The frequency of the Covid-19 vaccine acceptance was 66.47% (95% confidence interval: 69.57%, 63.21%). Moreover, 86.02% of the participants stated that they would use any type of (Iranian / foreign) vaccine approved by the Iranian Ministry of Health. However, 13.98% of the participants stated that they only preferred foreign approved vaccines (if available). The variables of age, fatalism, and socioeconomic status had significant associations with the Covid-19 vaccine acceptance. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the Covid-19 vaccine acceptance was moderate. In order to achieve herd immunity by vaccination faster in our society, the strategy of prioritizing vaccination can be planned based on the related variables such as religious beliefs and fatalism, younger age groups, and people with higher socio-economic status that are willing to receive the vaccine. © 2021, Iranian Epidemiological Association. All rights reserved.

During COVID-19, which is more effective in work accident prevention behavior of healthcare professionals: Safety awareness or fatalism perception?

BACKGROUND: As the pandemic process, COVID-19 has a serious occupational safety risk for healthcare professionals. Therefore, determining their health and safety perceptions and attitudes in the pandemic process is very important. This study aims to determine which is more effective in work accident prevention behavior: safety awareness and competencies of healthcare professionals or perception of fatalism. METHOD: For this purpose, a questionnaire was applied to 326 healthcare professionals. The questionnaire consists of four parts: (1) demographic information of the employees, (2) scale of preventing occupational accidents, (3) fatalism perception scale in occupational health and safety, and (4) security awareness and competency scale. Descriptive statistical methods, multiple regression and correlation analysis were used in the analysis of the data. RESULTS: It was determined that the participants' safety awareness and competencies were at the high level and their fatalism perceptions were at the low level. The average of the responses given by the participants to the scale of preventing work accidents was above the middle level. According to the study, the safety awareness and competencies of health workers were found to be about three times more effective on the behavior of preventing work accidents than the perception of fatalism. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it is important to recommend managers to take the step to increase the safety awareness and competencies of those working in their institutions.

Dimensionality and Accuracy of Measurement Based on Item Response Theory in the Fatalism Scale During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

The Fatalism Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring fatalistic beliefs about health. However, no previous studies have been conducted to verify its psychometric properties across different populations and, most importantly, during a public health emergency. Hence, this study aimed to examine the factorial structure, reliability, construct validity, and accuracy of measurement of the Fatalism Scale during the COVID-19 pandemic among Italian-speaking people. The total sample was comprised of 300 participants. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Construct validity was estimated by comparing fatalism scores with two theoretically-related constructs (i.e., optimism, locus of control). The test information function was analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of measurement based on item response theory (IRT). Differences in fatalism scores across gender were examined by performing MANOVAs. Results show a four-factor model: Luck, Powerlessness, Predetermination, and Pessimism with adequate fit indices and satisfactory internal consistency. Data support the expected relationships between fatalism subscales and related measures. The test information function and standard error curve provide the largest amount of information around q= zero and two standard deviations above the mean in the latent trait. Significant differences across gender are observed in Luck and Pessimism subscales. Our study suggests that the Fatalism Scale is a valuable tool for assessing fatalism during an acute health crisis among Italian-speaking people. This instrument might be useful for assessing fatalism during future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health crises © 2022. IJP&PT & AAC. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited

How does fear of COVID-19 affect the mental well-being of waiters in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Empirical findings are needed to determine how the fear of COVID-19 might change in the context of different individuals. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the moderating role of fatalism and psychological resilience on the effect of fear of COVID-19 on general mental health. METHODS: This study makes use of qualitative research methods that involved collecting data from 355 full-time waiters via questionnaires on online platforms. RESULT: The collected data suggests that the fear of COVID-19 has a significant negative impact on mental well-being. Morever, the data gathered for this study also indicates that the fear of COVID-19 infection differs significantly according to the fatalistic belief and psychological resilience levels of the waiters. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study indicate that the psychological effects of infectious diseases on individuals are not universal, but rather depend on the personal characteristics of individuals. It is hoped that the results of this study will contribute to the reduction of negative effects associated with the general anxiety of pandemic that individuals experience.

Demand for mitigating the risk of COVID-19 infection in public transport: The role of social trust and fatalistic beliefs.

The rapid surge of COVID-19 cases worldwide drew attention to COVID-19 infection as a new source of risk in transport. The virus introduced a need for viral transmission mitigation as a major priority when selecting a mode of travel, and caused a significant drop in public transport use. The recovery of public transport use in the post-COVID period requires that the transport authorities favourably address people's demand for mitigation of the risk of COVID-19 transmission in public transport. The present study aims to explore the role of risk perception, worry and priority of COVID-19 risk reduction along with fatalistic beliefs and public trust in authorities in explaining public demand for risk mitigation. The present study is among the first to investigate the role of fatalistic beliefs, social trust and risk perception for public transport and public demand for risk mitigation. The link between priority of infection prevention and demand for risk mitigation has also been less explored in public transport research. An online survey was conducted among university students in Iran between 19th April and 16th June 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, when the country was a major epicentre of the disease. A total of 271 out of 370 respondents whose dominant mode on university travels was public transport were included in the analysis. Results of structural equation modelling confirmed the paradox of trust, indicating that social trust is negatively associated with perceived risk of COVID-19 infection, which in turn may lead people to place less importance on COVID-19 prevention as a priority in travel mode choice, and consequently demand less risk mitigation efforts to prevent COVID-19 infection in public transport. Dissimilar to trust, however, the results revealed no relationship between fatalistic beliefs and risk perception, but a significant direct effect of fatalistic beliefs on demand for risk mitigation. To reinforce public demand for mitigating the risk of COVID-19 in public transport, the study calls on policymakers to exploit public trust resources for more effective risk communication, through disseminating the gradually accumulating evidence-based information regarding the infectivity and the virulence of COVID-19 and the scientific risk of infection. The study also underlined the potential importance of considering fatalistic beliefs when developing effective risk communication policies and practices to enhance public support for COVID-19 risk mitigation in public transport.

Fatalism in the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Mitigation and Mental Health.

This research assessed fatalism toward COVID-19 and its role in behavioral intentions to support mitigation efforts (e. g., social distancing) and mental well-being. A COVID-19 fatalism measure was developed, and a messaging manipulation (fatalistic vs. optimistic vs. no message) was created to examine causal links between fatalism scores. Support for mitigation efforts and negative affect (anxiety, fear, depression, and insecurity) were measured to examine the consequences of fatalism toward COVID-19. Results showed that the fatalistic messaging condition increased fatalism whereas the optimistic message reduced it. The effects of the messaging manipulation were also apparent in the downstream measures of support for mitigation and negative affect through the mediator of fatalism toward COVID-19. Specifically, fatalism negatively predicted intentions to support mitigation. Regarding mental health, fatalism was positively associated with depression but negatively associated with fear and insecurity. Implications for COVID-19 mitigation efforts and mental health in the face of the coronavirus pandemic are discussed.

Negative Affect, Fatalism, and Perceived Institutional Betrayal in Times of the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Control Beliefs.

Background: A growing number of studies report that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in diverse aversive psychological reactions and created a global mental health crisis. However, the specific mechanisms underlying the negative emotional reactions as well as the differences between countries are only beginning to be explored. The present study examined the association of COVID-19-related fear and negative affect in Israel and Switzerland. The mediating roles of three control beliefs were explored, namely, fatalism, locus of control, and perceived institutional betrayal. Method: General population samples of 595 Swiss and 639 Israeli participants were recruited and completed an online self-report survey. Moderated Mediation using multigroup path analysis models for the two samples were conducted and compared using AMOS. Results: The multigroup path model had excellent fit for both samples. The different paths were moderated by country affiliation. Higher levels of COVID-19-related fear were associated with negative affect to an equal extent in both samples. COVID-19-related fear was associated with higher reports of institutional betrayal and a lower locus of control in both samples. Higher COVID-19-related fear was associated with lower fatalism in the Swiss sample only. In both samples, institutional betrayal mediated the association between COVID-19-related fear and negative affect, however, locus of control was a mediator in the Israeli sample only. Conclusion: The current results suggest that the reaction of the government was of crucial importance with regard to the emotional state of the two populations. Interestingly, while in the context of adversity fatalism is generally considered a risk factor for mental health, during the time of the pandemic it seems to have had protective qualities among the Swiss population. Interventions that strengthen the personal locus of control have the potential to mitigate the negative affect in Israel but not in Switzerland. Despite the fact that COVID-19 is a global phenomenon, prevention and intervention strategies should be adjusted to local contexts.

Assessing preventive health behaviors from COVID-19: a cross sectional study with health belief model in Golestan Province, Northern of Iran.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new viral disease that has caused a pandemic in the world. Due to the lack of vaccines and definitive treatment, preventive behaviors are the only way to overcome the disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the preventive behaviors from the disease based on constructs of the health belief model. METHODS: In the present cross-sectional study during March 11-16, 2020, 750 individuals in Golestan Province of Iran were included in the study using the convenience sampling and they completed the questionnaires through cyberspace. Factor scores were calculated using the confirmatory factor analysis. The effects of different factors were separately investigated using the univariate analyses, including students sample t-test, ANOVA, and simple linear regression. Finally, the effective factors were examined by the multiple regression analysis at a significant level of 0.05 and through Mplus 7 and SPSS 16. RESULTS: The participants' mean age was 33.9 ± 9.45 years; and 57.1% of them had associate and bachelor's degrees. Multiple regression indicated that the mean score of preventive behavior from COVID-19 was higher in females than males, and greater in urban dwellers than rural dwellers. Furthermore, one unit increase in the standard deviation of factor scores of self-efficacy and perceived benefits increased the scores of preventive behavior from COVID-19 by 0.22 and 0.17 units respectively. On the contrary, one unit increase in the standard deviation of factor score of perceived barriers and fatalistic beliefs decreased the scores of the preventive behavior from COVID-19 by 0.36 and 0.19 units respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the present study indicated that female gender, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, fatalistic beliefs, perceived interests, and living in city had the greatest preventive behaviors from COVID-19 respectively. Preventive interventions were necessary among males and villagers.