Adjustment to a “New Normal:” Coping Flexibility and Mental Health Issues During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented health crisis in terms of the scope of its impact on well-being. The sudden need to navigate this “new normal” has compromised the mental health of many people. Coping flexibility, defined as the astute deployment of coping strategies to meet specific situational demands, is proposed as an adaptive quality during this period of upheaval. The present study investigated the associations between coping flexibility and two common mental health problems: COVID-19 anxiety and depression. The respondents were 481 Hong Kong adults (41% men; mean age = 45.09) who took part in a population-based telephone survey conducted from April to May 2020. Self-report data were assessed with the Coping Flexibility Interview Schedule, COVID-19-Related Perception and Anxiety Scale, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Slightly more than half (52%) of the sample met the criteria for probable depression. Four types of COVID-19 anxiety were identified: anxiety over personal health, others' reactions, societal health, and economic problems. The results consistently revealed coping flexibility to be inversely associated with depression and all four types of COVID-19 anxiety. More importantly, there was a significant interaction between perceived likelihood of COVID-19 infection and coping flexibility on COVID-19 anxiety over personal health. These findings shed light on the beneficial role of coping flexibility in adjusting to the “new normal” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 depression and its risk factors in Asia Pacific – A systematic review and meta-analysis

“… Chen et al, 2021 ), ( Fang et al, 2021 ), ( Fukase et al, 2021 ), ( Gotlib et al, 2021 ), ( Hammond et al, 2021 ), ( Hao et al, 2021 ), ( Hazarika et al, 2021 ), ( Kibbey et al, 2020 ), ( Liu et al, 2020 ), ( Mistry et al, 2021 ), ( Nishimura et al, 2021 ), ( Robillard et al, 2021 ), ( Sakib et al, 2021 ), ( Suzuki et al, 2021 ), ( Tsang et al, 2021 ), (Y. Wang et al, 2021 ), ( Wong et al, 2021 ), ( Yang et al, 2021 ), ( Young et al, 2021 ) Age 20 7.91 ( An et al, 2021 ), ( Cheema et al, 2021 ), ( Fukase et al, 2021 ), ( Glenister et al, 2021 ), ( Kar et al, 2021 ), ( Kar et al, 2021 ), ( Rashid et al, 2021 ), ( Kim et al, 2021 ), ( Matsumoto et al, 2021 ), ( Nkire et al, 2021 ), ( Robillard et al, 2021 ), ( Rossell et al, 2021 ), (Song et al, 2021), ( Tang et al, 2021 ), ( Turna et al, 2021 ), ( Veldhuis et al, 2021 ), ( Wong et al, 2021 ), ( Yan et al, 2021 ), ( Yang et al, 2021 ), ( Yunus et al, 2020 ) Income disruption/ financial restraints 19 7.51 (Xi an Chen et al, 2021 ), ( Cheng et al, 2021 ), ( Devkota et al, 2021 ), ( Fukase et al, 2021 ), ( ...…”

Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for psychological distress in older adults without cognitive impairment living in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A feasibility study

“…During the pandemic, ICBT's effectiveness may have been affected by other factors that cannot be controlled for with a single-group design. For instance, adjustment to the “new normal” of the pandemic through increased coping flexibility ( Cheng et al, 2021 ), the positive role of the community in flattening mental health risks ( Ahmed et al, 2020 ), and a reduction of pandemic-related information in the media ( Depoux et al, 2020 ). However, due to the sudden and serious outbreak of COVID-19 in China in January 2020, we had no time to develop tailored interventions for participants in the intervention or control group because we needed to devise a solution focused on improving the mental health of older adults living in nursing homes at the earliest.…”

Active Coping and Anxiety Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spanish Adults

“…Behavioral, cognitive and emotional coping strategies have been found to be helpful for dealing with negative experiences, since they reduce the burden imposed by prolonged distress, enable cognitive resources to deal with everyday stressors and allow adaptation to environmental changing and demanding situations during pandemics and natural disasters [21,22]. Furthermore, coping has been demonstrated to be a key factor for psychological well-being and mental health issues during the COVID-19 era, with problem-focused coping strategies, cognitive reappraisal, social support and avoidant coping strategies along with other coping resources such as meaning in life and social connectedness as the most commonly used coping strategies [19,20,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. A review [31] has found that all the guidelines for coping with mental problems derived from COVID-19 included tips for maintaining good mental health, descriptions of a variety of psychological skills to help people cope with their anxiety and worries and the promotion of interpersonal connection at home to generate social support.…”