Do coping responses predict better/poorer mental health in Portuguese adults during Portugal's national lockdown associated with the COVID-19?

Jarego, Margarida; Pimenta, Filipa; Pais-Ribeiro, José; Costa, Rui Miguel; Patrão, Ivone; Coelho, Lina; Ferreira-Valente, Alexandra

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.110698

Cited by 19 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Several other studies have examined mental health and psychological distress indicators in the population affected by the pandemic crisis and the national authorities’ lockdowns. Some of these studies have concluded that this global COVID-19 pandemic crisis is causing unprecedented negative psychological consequences ( Brooks et al, 2020 ; Rodríguez-Rey et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ), while others have not suggested such impact ( Jarego et al, 2021 ). However, comparisons with other studies, even when data collections are conducted relatively within the same temporal window, have to be made carefully.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, recent data concerning immediate psychological impact among Portuguese individuals suggest that participants reported higher levels of moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress than previously ( Passos et al, 2020 ; Paulino et al, 2020 ; Moreira et al, 2021 ). However, another study has observed normal mental health levels ( Jarego et al, 2021 ) during the first lockdown. The authors discussed this result as possibly being influenced by the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Notwithstanding the great importance of these dispositional characteristics in successful adaptation, it is also essential to analyze the situational coping strategies that individuals use most frequently to deal with specific stressful situations. Analyzing the type of strategy and how they are associated with and contribute to better psychological and physical outcomes has been the focus of several studies (e.g., Babore et al, 2020 ; Dawson and Golijani-Moghaddam, 2020 ; Mariani et al, 2020 ; Rettie and Daniels, 2020 ; Jarego et al, 2021 ). Coping strategies refer to behavioral and cognitive efforts used by individuals in order to reduce the pressure of a stressful situation when its demands exceed personal resources ( Lazarus and Folkman, 1984 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Emotion-focused coping strategies seemed to increase anxious and depressive symptoms ( Mariani et al, 2020 ), and social support and avoidance predicted distress levels in a sample of healthcare workers in Italy ( Babore et al, 2020 ). In a recent study with Portuguese participants, coping strategies of positive reframing and humor predicted better mental health, whereas substance use predicted poorer mental health ( Jarego et al, 2021 ). Despite the multiple studies that analyze the impact of using different coping strategies, each strategy’s degree of effectiveness and adaptation depends mainly on the context’s and individual’s characteristics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The specific contribution of these variables in predicting both psychological distress and well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unknown. Besides, studies concerning the most effective coping strategies to deal with the pandemic are, as described previously, quite variable depending on the context and the group studied (e.g., Babore et al, 2020 ; Mariani et al, 2020 ; Rettie and Daniels, 2020 ; Jarego et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dealing With the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Portugal: On the Important Role of Positivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Coping Strategies

et al. 2021

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The global COVID-19 pandemic crisis has caused an unprecedented impact on most areas of people’s lives. Thus, framed within the scope of Existential Positive Psychology (PP2.0), this study aimed at assessing the psychological distress of adults living in Portugal during the first national lockdown, how they are coping with stress, as well to contribute to a deeper understanding about the role that positivity, experiential avoidance, and coping strategies have in psychological distress and well-being. For this purpose, 586 Portuguese adults (73% females) ranging between 18 and 78 years old (M = 38.96, SD = 12.20) completed an online survey during the initial phase of the pandemic crisis in Portugal. Findings suggest that experiential avoidance was the strongest predictor of a negative response (depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and negative emotions), whereas positivity was a better predictor of psychological well-being and lower levels of depression. Additionally, self-blame, behavioral disengagement, and emotional venting were strong risk factors for psychological distress, whereas positive reframing, planning, and acceptance were associated with more positive outcomes. These findings highlight the critical role of experiential avoidance on individuals’ psychological distress and the essential contribution of positive life orientation in promoting flourishing. By offering a better understanding of the complex navigation through the dialectics between positive and negative life features, this study provides important and useful cues for psychological interventions directed at promoting a more positive and adaptive human functioning even through such potential adverse and painful life events.

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