The role of fortitude, loneliness, and depression in the association between risk perception of contracting COVID-19 and life satisfaction: serial mediation analysis

Abstract

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has been found to have a negative impact on both physical wellbeing and mental health. Increased risk perception of contracting the virus has been associated with adverse psychological outcomes and reduced life satisfaction. However, susceptibility to psychological distress is influenced by personality-related characteristics. This study focuses on fortitude as a potential protective factor. The aim of this study is to investigate the parallel and serial mediating roles of fortitude, loneliness, and depression in the relationship between risk perception and life satisfaction. The participants were young adults ( N = 337) who have completed five self-report questionnaires: University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Fortitude Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and COVID-19 Risk Perception Scale. Descriptive statistics were generated, and structural equation modelling was used to examine the parallel and serial mediating roles of loneliness, depression, and fortitude. Positive associations were found between risk perception and loneliness and depression, and fortitude was found to mediate the relationship between risk perception and life satisfaction, between loneliness and life satisfaction, and between depression and life satisfaction. The overall serial mediation was also found to be significant, thereby supporting the hypothesis that those who perceive themselves to be at a risk of contracting COVID-19 have higher loneliness scores, which in turn is associated with higher depression scores. These findings confirm that fortitude is a salient protective factor and suggest that improving the perception of the ability to manage the risk of infection can enhance psychological wellbeing.

Meaning in Life and Loneliness as Mediators between COVID-19 Anxiety and Life Satisfaction in the Post-Pandemic among the General Population in Turkey: A Serial Mediation Model

“…For example, loneliness mediated the relationship between the negative impact of COVID-19 and quality of life [56]. Likewise, studies showed that those who perceived themselves as at risk of contracting COVID-19 had higher loneliness scores [57], and those who felt lonely faced significant threats to their well-being [58]. In a longitudinal study, after 12 months of follow-up, anxiety symptoms continued at high levels, depressive symptoms and loneliness increased, and life satisfaction decreased [59].…”

Generalized Resistance Resources in the Time of COVID-19: The Role of Sense of Coherence and Resilience in the Relationship between COVID-19 Fear and Loneliness among Schoolteachers

“…The return to conventional teaching in South Africa caused heightened levels of fear among school teachers, owing to their increased susceptibility to infection [9]. Although fear is an adaptive response to a real threat, chronic and disproportionate fear can have adverse effects on mental health [9], such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hopelessness, and loneliness [10][11][12][13]. Several rural public schools in South Africa are underdeveloped; therefore, they do not have access to clean running water or adequate sanitary facilities and are characterized by poor school infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms [6][7][8].…”

Leveraging adversity during pandemics: the role of adaptive cognitive appraisals of self and others in mental health outcomes among students

“…Existing studies have identified fortitude, ego-resilience, a sense of coherence, and social support as protective factors or resilience resources in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (Grey et al, 2020; Padmanabhanunni & Pretorius, 2021a, 2021b; Pretorius & Padmanabhanunni, 2022a; van der Velden et al, 2020). The current study aimed to extend this work by investigating whether adaptive cognitive appraisals – specifically appraisals of problem-solving ability and appraisals of support received from others – serve as protective resources for mental health.…”