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Fear of COVID-19 and PTSD: The Protective Function of Problem-Solving Appraisals in Mental Health

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  • Anita Padmanabhanunni

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

  • Tyrone Brian Pretorius

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

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was experienced by many people as a major traumatic event, and it contributed to high levels of fear, anxiety, and PTSD. Negative cognitive appraisals have been consistently implicated in the onset and maintenance of psychological distress, but there is far less research on the protective role of adaptive appraisals in mental health outcomes. The current study aimed to address this gap by investigating the role of problem-solving appraisals in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and PTSD. Participants were students ( n = 322) who completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Problem-Solving Inventory, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and the five-item short version of the trait scale of the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Participants had a mean age of 26 years (±10.2; range 17–63). The results revealed that problem-solving appraisal mediated the effects of fear of COVID-19 on all the dimensions of PTSD. However, moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that the mediation effect was moderated by anxiety. In this regard, the indirect effects of fear of COVID-19 on PTSD were only significant for respondents with low anxiety levels. Our findings suggest that intervention efforts need to focus on identifying and actively targeting maladaptive appraisals of the problem-solving ability as well as addressing anxiety-related symptoms that may impede coping.

Suggested Citation

  • Anita Padmanabhanunni & Tyrone Brian Pretorius, 2024. "Fear of COVID-19 and PTSD: The Protective Function of Problem-Solving Appraisals in Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:2:p:220-:d:1338274
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Achraf Ammar & Hamdi Chtourou & Omar Boukhris & Khaled Trabelsi & Liwa Masmoudi & Michael Brach & Bassem Bouaziz & Ellen Bentlage & Daniella How & Mona Ahmed & Patrick Mueller & Notger Mueller & Hsen , 2020. "COVID-19 Home Confinement Negatively Impacts Social Participation and Life Satisfaction: A Worldwide Multicenter Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Tyrone B. Pretorius & Anita Padmanabhanunni, 2023. "Anxiety in Brief: Assessment of the Five-Item Trait Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-12, May.
    3. Yu-Hsiu Chu & Yao-Chuen Li, 2022. "The Impact of Online Learning on Physical and Mental Health in University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-10, March.
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