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The Resilience of South African School Teachers in the Time of COVID-19: Coping with Risk of Infection, Loneliness, and Anxiety

Author

Listed:
  • Anita Padmanabhanunni

    (Department of Psychology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7530, South Africa)

  • Tyrone Pretorius

    (Department of Psychology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7530, South Africa)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an overall increase in the global prevalence of mental health disorders and psychological distress. However, against this backdrop, there was also evidence of adaptation and coping, which suggested the influence of protective factors. The current study aims to extend previous research on the role of protective factors by investigating the health-sustaining and mediating roles of resilience in the relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease, loneliness, and anxiety. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of schoolteachers (N = 355) who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, the short form of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, and the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, through an online link created with Google Forms. The results of path analysis indicated significant negative associations between resilience and both loneliness and anxiety. These results indicate the health-sustaining role of resilience. In addition, resilience mediated the relationships between germ aversion and perceived infectability, on the one hand, and loneliness and anxiety, on the other hand. The findings confirm that resilience can play a substantial role in counteracting the negative impact of the pandemic on mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Anita Padmanabhanunni & Tyrone Pretorius, 2023. "The Resilience of South African School Teachers in the Time of COVID-19: Coping with Risk of Infection, Loneliness, and Anxiety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-12, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3462-:d:1070142
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sarah Dryhurst & Claudia R. Schneider & John Kerr & Alexandra L. J. Freeman & Gabriel Recchia & Anne Marthe van der Bles & David Spiegelhalter & Sander van der Linden, 2020. "Risk perceptions of COVID-19 around the world," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7-8), pages 994-1006, August.
    2. Mariela Loreto Lara-Cabrera & Moisés Betancort & C. Amparo Muñoz-Rubilar & Natalia Rodríguez Novo & Carlos De las Cuevas, 2021. "The Mediating Role of Resilience in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-10, September.
    3. Ivone Duarte & Ana Alves & Ana Coelho & Ana Ferreira & Beatriz Cabral & Bebiana Silva & João Peralta & Juliana Silva & Pedro Domingues & Pedro Nunes & Carla Serrão & Cristina Santos, 2022. "The Mediating Role of Resilience and Life Satisfaction in the Relationship between Stress and Burnout in Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-13, February.
    4. Chung-Ying Lin & Ching-Shu Tsai & Chia-Wei Fan & Mark D. Griffiths & Chih-Cheng Chang & Cheng-Fang Yen & Amir H. Pakpour, 2022. "Psychometric Evaluation of Three Versions of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Full, Eight-Item, and Three-Item Versions) among Sexual Minority Men in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-13, July.
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