Fear of COVID-19 and Mental Health: The Role of Mindfulness in During Times of Crisis

AbstractThe novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on all aspects of individuals ’ lives, particularly their mental health due to the fear associated with the pandemic. Thus, the current study explored the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and aspects of mental health, namely anxiety and depression, and will consider whether this relationship can be mediated by mindful ness. Data were collected from a student sample of 355 participants (71.5% female and 28.5% male) ranging between 18 and 41 years of age (M = 22.41 ± 3.27), with participants completing a fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), and the anxiety an d depression subscale of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). In terms of the results, correlational analyses indicated that fear of COVID-19 is inversely associated with mindfulness, while positive correlations were found with anxiety and depression. Structural equation modeling analyses de monstrated that mindfulness mediated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression and anxiety. Associated implications are further discussed.
Source: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - Category: Addiction Source Type: research