Pretorius, Tyrone B.Padmanabhanunni, Anita2023-03-072023-03-072022Pretorius, 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/healthcare101122762227-9032https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10112276http://hdl.handle.net/10566/8545The 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.enCovid-19Public healthAnxietyPsychologyMental healthArticle