Deriving meaning from chaos: the mediating role of the sense of coherence in the serial relationships among fear of Covid-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction

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Date

2022

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

MDPI

Abstract

The current study focused on the role of the sense of coherence (SOC) in the serial relationships among the fear of COVID-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. It examined the hypothesis that an SOC would mitigate the impact of the fear of COVID-19 on psychological distress, which in turn would positively impact life satisfaction. Participants were school teachers (N = 355) who completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the short form of the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. A path analysis confirmed the mediating role of the dimensions of the SOC in the relationships among the fear of COVID-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. Specifically, comprehensibility, meaningfulness, and manageability were found to mediate the associations between the fear of COVID-19 and anxiety, and the fear of COVID-19 and hopelessness, which in turn were associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. The findings confirmed that an SOC is an important source of resilience. Interventions that facilitate the re-appraisal of stressors as challenges and enhance the awareness of practical coping strategies can build an SOC and promote mental health.

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Keywords

Covid-19, Public health, Anxiety, Psychology, Mental health

Citation

Pretorius, T. B., & Padmanabhanunni, A. (2022). Deriving meaning from chaos: the mediating role of the sense of coherence in the serial relationships among fear of Covid-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. Healthcare , 10(11), 2276. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10112276