The Interpersonal Dimension of Pandemic Fear and the Dual-Factor Model of Mental Health: The Role of Coping Strategies

Abstract

(1) Background: Current COVID-19 research has mainly focused on negative outcomes associated with fear of the pandemic with the examination of potentially positive outcomes remaining underexplored. Based on the dual-factor model of mental health, which postulates positive and negative dimensions, we assessed the influence of COVID-19 fear on both negative and positive mental health outcomes and examined the mediational role of coping strategies. (2) Methods: A convenience sample of 231 respondents participated in an online survey reporting on measures of pandemic fear (SFS), distress (HADS), post-traumatic growth (PTGI) and individual differences in terms of coping strategies (CSI-SF). (3) Results: Respondents’ main concerns related with the pandemic highlighted the interpersonal and social dimensions implicated in fear of COVID-19. As expected, fear of the pandemic was associated not just with negative but also positive outcomes, while different coping strategies played a role in determining such effects. More specifically, disengagement coping mediated the effects of fear on anxiety and depression, whereas engagement coping was the only mediator of the relationship between COVID-19 fear and post-traumatic growth. (4) Conclusions: Approaches to promote psychological wellbeing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic should on the one hand be sensitive to the needs of the more vulnerable population groups, while on the other leverage existing resources to harness the potential for growth. Strengthening engagement coping in the context of fears triggered by the pandemic may constitute a valuable target to protect against negative and optimize positive mental health outcomes in the general population.

How fear of COVID-19 promotes posttraumatic growth during COVID-19 epidemic: A moderated mediation model.

“…The present study found a positive association between fear of COVID-19 and PTG, which is consistent with the findings of period studies on PTG (Fino et al, 2022a, 2022b). Most critically, this study showed a positive U-curve relationship between PTG and experiencing distress, that is, high levels of fear of COVID-19 are most associated with the greatest levels of growth.…”

Mental Well-Being and Sexual Intimacy among Men and Gender Diverse People Who Have Sex with Men during the First UK COVID-19 Lockdown: A Mixed-Methods Study

“…In line with existing research in general populations, our results show that large proportions (49.6%) experienced low mental well-being [ 31 ], and that these potential impacts were associated with age [ 32 ]. In contrast with a study in Romania, where those who were most likely to have anxiety were between 18–24 and 55–65 [ 32 ], in our sample low mental well-being was less common in older age groups.…”

Factors Associated with Post-Traumatic Growth during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

“…Considering age and sex/gender, no significant differences in relation to PTG were reported in some studies investigating these variables [37,40,46,49,50,59,62,63]. In contrast, in the study by Celdrán et al [38] and Fino et al [42], women reported higher levels of growth, but of all the sociodemographic variables considered in the study by Celdrán et al [38], only younger age significantly correlated with higher PTG, and the same was found in the study by Northfield and Johnston [55]; by contrast, in the study by Na et al [54], being female was associated with pandemic growth. In the study by Ikizer et al [46], only the level of education was a predictor of PTG, as higher levels of education were associated with lower levels of PTG, while being younger was only associated with negative outputs, such as higher levels of pandemic-related stress.…”