Mental well-being during COVID-19 pandemic: the role of fear, social isolation and psychological resilience

ABSTRACT

Emergence of any pandemic raises serious concerns toward the psychological well-being of an individual and overall society. Although, the magnitude and intensity of the novelwellb coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are not precisely known yet, however, this pandemic has predominantly reshaped the global scenario. Scholars have begun to unfold the reality of this traumatic situation, but empirical research that focuses on the identification of key factors that could have a notable impact on mental wellbeing of the general population is limited. To fill this gap, this research endeavors to analyze the impact of fear of getting infected and social isolation on mental well-being during the pandemic. In addition, psychological resilience is used as a moderator between social isolation and mental well-being. A total of 714 responses were received through an online survey from university students across all provinces of Pakistan. The findings demonstrate that people who fear of being infected tend to engage in social isolation, and social isolation brings negative repercussions toward mental well-being. Interestingly, the study findings reveal that psychological resilience could mitigate the negative impact of social isolation on mental well-being. This study calls for creating and promoting awareness concerning psychological resilience in order to cope with the psychological challenges during this COVID-19 pandemic.