The mediating role of psychological distress on the link between socio‐ecological factors and quality of life of Filipino adults during COVID‐19 crisis

Abstract

Anchored on the Ecological Systems Theory, this study aimed to determine how psychological distress operates as an underlying mechanism in the impact of socio‐ecological factors on the quality of life of Filipino adults during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) crisis. A cross‐sectional online survey was conducted to assess perceptions of 401 adults on socio‐ecological factors (i.e., safety at home, trust in public institutions, and financial difficulties), psychological distress, and quality of life during the early phase of COVID‐19 community quarantine in the Philippines. Using latent variable path analysis, all three socio‐ecological factors have significant direct effects on both psychological distress and quality of life. More importantly, the proposed model was confirmed in terms of a significant partial mediation of psychological distress on the impact of safety at home, trust in public institutions, and financial difficulties on the quality of life of Filipino adults. The study offers novel insights into the role of psychological distress as an underlying mechanism that operates on the influence of socio‐ecological factors on the quality of life of adults during a global health crisis. Implications on psychological interventions and policies in preventing mental health problems vis‐à‐vis improving Filipinos' quality of life during the COVID‐19 pandemic are discussed.

Predictors of well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic: The importance of financial satisfaction and neuroticism

“…Several individuals lost their jobs or received pay cuts, while others faced job uncertainty or could not find employment. Since financial difficulties due to the pandemic were linked to greater psychological distress (Aruta et al, 2021), the importance of financial satisfaction observed here aligns not only with previous research, but with the current economic situation too.…”

“…For instance, higher financial satisfaction is consistently strongly correlated with higher SWB, in both worldwide samples (Ng & Diener, 2014 ) and a Singaporean sample (Ng et al, 2019 ). Additionally, financial difficulties in the family due to the pandemic were found to be associated with greater psychological distress and lower quality of life among Filipino adults (Aruta et al, 2021 ). Financial difficulties also predicted lower life satisfaction and flourishing, and more symptoms of depression and anxiety among Filipino students during the pandemic (Galanza et al, 2021 ).…”

The Associations Among Physical Activity, Quality of Life, and Self-Concept in Children and Adolescents With Disabilities: A Moderated Mediation Model

“…We used the SEM in step 3 to cross-validate the hypothesised model (see Figure 2 ). The mediating effects of SC on the associations between PA and QoL and the predictive effects of parent proxy-report QoL on self-report QoL were examined using 5,000 bootstrap samples, as 5,000 bootstrap samples are frequently used ( 37 ). A bias-corrected and accelerated 95% confidence interval (CI) and a maximum likelihood estimation method for missing data were used in the data analysis ( 38 ).…”

Psychosocial Distress among Family Members of COVID-19 Patients Admitted to Hospital and Isolation Facilities in the Philippines: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has caused radical changes to the average Filipino’s life, such as loss of income and decreased social interaction due to the mitigating interventions implemented by the government [ 10 , 11 ]. Further psychosocial distress is likely to impact those directly affected by COVID-19 by either contracting the disease or having to take care of a family member who has been infected with COVID-19.…”