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Abstract Despite the formal declaration of the end of the global health emergency related to COVID-19, the disease continues to pose significant challenges worldwide. This study addresses the gap in existing literature regarding the impact of COVID-19 anxiety on university students during the peak of the pandemic. Specifically, it examined how COVID-19 anxiety influenced the meaning in life, life orientation, and academic motivation; variables that are known predictors of student success and their overall well-being. Conducted as a non-experimental quantitative cross-sectional study, data were collected from 557 participants selected through purposive sampling. The research used the Coronavirus Pandemic Anxiety Scale, Academic Motivation Scale, Revised Life Orientation Test, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire to gather relevant data. Findings reveal that COVID-19 anxiety has a negative influence on academic motivation, presence of meaning, and life orientation. The results also indicate a positive relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and the search for meaning in life. These findings not only enhance the understanding of the pandemic's adverse impacts on university students but also provide a basis for future interventions and strategies by educational stakeholders and policymakers aimed at mitigating these effects.

BackgroundThe widespread use of smartphones has significantly increased smartphone addiction among college students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, university campuses in mainland China have strictly followed the Chinese government’s strict quarantine policy, including closed campus management, prohibitions against gatherings, and social distancing, increasing student loneliness and anxiety and thus increasing the risk of smartphone addiction. Extant Studies have revealed that social isolation is a prominent predictor of smartphone addiction but have failed to systematically explore the complex relationship between social isolation and smartphone addiction in the context of COVID-19; therefore, the underlying mechanisms of these factors in the post-pandemic era are unclear.ObjectiveThis study is the first attempt to consider loneliness, COVID-19 anxiety and social isolation as a whole and to clarify the underlying mechanisms of social isolation and smartphone addiction by constructing a multiple mediating model.MethodThis study included students enrolled at eight higher education institutions in Conghua District (Guangzhou city). Quota proportional sampling was adopted, 900 self-report questionnaires were distributed through the WeChat groups of these universities from December 10 to December 15, 2022, and 868 valid questionnaires (620 females, 248 males) were ultimately obtained.ResultsThe direct effect of social isolation on smartphone addiction was significant, and loneliness and COVID-19 anxiety mediated the association between social isolation and smartphone addiction in both parallel and sequential ways. Moreover, a reverse mediation model with COVID-19 anxiety as the first mediator and loneliness as the second mediator was found.ConclusionCollege students who experience social isolation are at greater risk for smartphone addiction, and the core factor leading to their smartphone addiction is the subjective psychological state triggered by campus isolation and social distancing, such as loneliness and anxiety. These risky behaviors of people should receive extra attention, and psychological factors such as loneliness and COVID-19 anxiety should be considered in future therapies aimed at reducing addiction.

Abstract This study investigates the intricate relationship between exposure to information sources, trust in these sources, conspiracy and misinformation beliefs, and COVID-19 anxiety among 509 Omani citizens aged 11 to 50, representing 11 governorates. Employing structural equation modeling, we not only examine these associations but also explore how trust and COVID-19 anxiety act as moderating variables in this context. Additionally, we delve into demographic factors such as age group, educational level, gender, and place of residence (governorate) to discern potential variations. Our findings reveal that trust in health experts is inversely related to belief in conspiracy theories, while trust in health experts negatively correlates with exposure to conspiracy and misinformation. Intriguingly, trust in health experts exhibits divergent effects across governorates: it diminishes conspiracy and misinformation beliefs in some regions but not in others. Exposure to personal contacts and digital media, on the other hand, is associated with heightened beliefs in misinformation and conspiracy theories, respectively, in select governorates. These distinctions may be attributed to proximity to Muscat, the capital city of Oman, where various media outlets and policy-making institutions are situated. Furthermore, lower educational attainment is linked to greater belief in conspiracy and misinformation. Females reported higher levels of conspiracy theory beliefs and COVID-19 anxiety while no significant differences were detected in misinformation beliefs. This study sheds light on the intricate dynamics of misinformation and conspiracy theories in the context of COVID-19 in Oman, highlighting the pivotal roles of trust and COVID-19 anxiety as moderating factors. These findings offer valuable insights into understanding and addressing the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories during a public health crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted global society, leading to negative well-being and mental health outcomes. However, little is known about how COVID-19-related anxiety affects life satisfaction through psychological factors. This study examined the mediating roles of meaning in life and loneliness in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and life satisfaction in 333 Turkish general population (59.2% females; Mage = 33.9 ± 7.8). Participants completed measures of COVID-19 anxiety, life satisfaction, meaning in life, and loneliness. The results showed that COVID-19 anxiety predicted meaning in life, loneliness, and life satisfaction. Meaning in life predicted loneliness and life satisfaction, while loneliness predicted life satisfaction. Serial mediation analysis revealed that COVID-19 anxiety predicts life satisfaction through meaning in life and loneliness, even after controlling for age and gender. These findings contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms between COVID-19 anxiety and life satisfaction, with implications for future research and practice.

Introduction: Considering the emergence of covid-19 disease and the importance of the anxiety of this disease in the mental health of women, the aim of this research was to predict Covid-19 anxiety based on life orientation and cognitive flexibility among the women of Baneh City.Method: This research is a correlational study, which was conducted cross-sectionally. The statistical population included all women in Baneh city, from which 250 people were selected using available random sampling and answered the questionnaires on Covid-19 anxiety, life orientation, and cognitive flexibility. The collected data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis with enter model SPSS-18 software.Results: The results showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between optimistic orientation and Covid-19 anxiety and its dimensions. There is a positive and significant relationship between the physical dimension of Covid-19 anxiety and pessimistic orientation. Also, there is a negative and significant relationship between cognitive flexibility and Covid-19 anxiety and the results of multiple regression analysis revealed that 7 % and 7.3% of the variance of Covid-19 anxiety is explained by optimistic orientation, Control, and Alternatives subscales.Discussion and Conclusions: The findings showed that life orientation and cognitive flexibility play an important role in women's covid-19 anxiety. Therefore, targeting such topics in people's psychological intervention programs can be useful in reducing their covid-19 anxiety.

This study was conducted to codify a psychological model based on positivist psychology and assess its effect on the resilience of individuals with COVID-19 anxiety. In the qualitative portion of the study, the researchers employed an inductive method for theme analysis and a quasi-experimental design with a pretest, posttest, control group, and two-month follow-up period for the quantitative portion. The statistical population of the present investigation comprised COVID-19 anxiety sufferers in Tehran during the spring and summer of 2021. Using a method of purposive sampling, 35 individuals with COVID-19 anxiety were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received the related interventions (10 sessions) over the course of one and a half months. In this study, the applied questionnaires included the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and the Resilience Questionnaire (RQ). The data were analyzed using the mixed ANOVA procedure and SPSS-23 statistical software. The results demonstrated that the positivist psychological model has sufficient content validity. In addition, this intervention has a positive effect on the resilience of individuals with Covid-19 anxiety (P

Abstract. Introduction: Past research has shown that psychological and behavioral factors, including anxiety, fear, and preventive behaviors, are related to well-being outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet little is known about the simultaneous effects of those factors in predicting satisfaction with life among vaccinated people. Methods: This cross-sectional study is among the first to examine whether COVID-19 anxiety, fear of COVID-19, and preventive behaviors predicted satisfaction with life among the vaccinated general public in Turkey. Participants were 1,017 Turkish adults (69.71% female; mean age = 36.28, SD = 10.83 years) who completed online self-reported questionnaires. Results: Results showed that increased levels of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 significantly predicted reduced satisfaction with life over and above the effects of sociodemographic and clinical factors. Discussion: The findings suggest the importance of tailoring and implementing interventions focusing on the improvement of the well-being of people during the pandemic.

Background and Objectives: With the spread of COVID-19, the fear and anxiety of this disease is increasing and this virus has had various psychological consequences for people. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of COVID-19 anxiety with catastrophizing, loneliness and academic support. Materials and Methods: The research method was descriptive-correlation. The statistical population of the study was all third grade students of the second high school of Zahedan in the academic year 2020-2021 (n = 6199) that stratified-available sampling method 346 students were studied through corona virus anxiety, catastrophizing, loneliness and academic support questionnaires. Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression were used in a stepwise manner to analyze the data. Results: Based on the findings, the mean and standard deviation of the research variables were as follows: COVID-19 anxiety (m = 2.48, sd = 0.83), catastrophizing (m = 2.83, sd = 0.67), loneliness (m = 2.85, sd = 0.72) and academic support (m = 2.74, sd = 0.62). There was a positive and significant relationship between COVID-19 anxiety with catastrophizing (r = 0.444), loneliness (r = 0.625) and academic self-handicapping (r = 0.601). The regression results also showed that the components of COVID-19 anxiety have the ability to predict 20.7%, 39.2% and 36.3% of the variances of catastrophizing, loneliness and academic support of students, respectively. Conclusions: According to the results, it is suggested that school principals and teachers can reduce the level of COVID-19 anxiety and its catastrophizing in students by providing virtual training in the field of corona virus disease. It is also recommended to hold debugging classes in person and in accordance with health protocols to provide the necessary academic support to students. Dedicating more time from parents 'lives to their children and using supervised social media can be effective in reducing students' loneliness.

BackgroundAdolescents can benefit from engagement with health-related content on social media (e.g., viewing, commenting, or sharing content related to diseases, prevention, or healthy lifestyle). Nevertheless, such content may be distressing or exaggerated and present a challenge to mental well-being, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rumination about such content may lead to COVID-19 anxiety. Yet, the individual factors that would explain the association between health-related social media use (SMU) and COVID-19 anxiety are understudied.ObjectiveIn the current study, we aimed to fill the gap by investigating the association between health-related social media use (SMU) and COVID-19 anxiety in light of several individual factors: health anxiety, eHealth literacy, and mild and severe experience with COVID-19 infection. We (1) studied the relationship between individual factors and health-related SMU, (2) tested health anxiety as a moderator in the association between health-related SMU and COVID-19 anxiety, and (3) explored a direct effect of experience with COVID-19 on COVID-19 anxiety.MethodsUsing structural equation modeling, we analyzed cross-sectional data from a representative sample of 2,500 Czech adolescents aged 11–16, 50% girls. Sociodemographic measures, health-related SMU, COVIDCOVID-19 anxiety, health anxiety, eHealth literacy, and mild and severe experience with COVID-19 infection were assessed with an anonymous online survey. The data were collected in June 2021.ResultsWe conducted a path analysis to test the main relationships and an additional simple-slopes analysis to explore the moderating effect of health anxiety. Higher health anxiety and eHealth literacy were associated with increased health-related SMU. The effect of experience with COVID-19 infection on both COVID-19 anxiety and health-related SMU was negligible. Health-related SMU and COVID-19 anxiety were positively associated, however, only for adolescents high in health anxiety. For other adolescents, the two variables were unrelated.ConclusionOur findings show that adolescents with higher health anxiety and eHealth literacy engage in health-related SMU more intensively. Furthermore, for adolescents high in health anxiety, the frequency of health-related SMU is associated with the risk of COVID-19 anxiety. This is likely due to differences in media use. Adolescents with high health anxiety may use social media for content that is more likely to lead to COVID-19 anxiety compared to other adolescents. We recommend focusing on the identification of such content, which may lead to more precise recommendations regarding health-related SMU compared to cut-back on the frequency of overall SMU.

ObjectiveSince the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, several studies have shown an increase of psychological distress in the general population. Previous research demonstrated that high levels of anxiety are associated with reporting more somatic symptoms. The ability to adaptively regulate emotions is essential to deal with stressful situations, and it is one of the main components of mindfulness practice. The aim of the present study was to document the effect of mindfulness practice on somatic symptoms and psychological distress in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe study has a descriptive cross-sectional design. During the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, between November 2020 and January 2021 participants living in France responded to an online survey on the impact of COVID-19 on psychological distress and physical health. The questionnaire included the assessment of COVID-19-related anxiety, mindfulness practice and experience, dispositional mindfulness, somatization, depression, generalized anxiety, and emotion regulation.ResultsA total of 569 people (mean age = 39.8 years, 90% women) were included in the study. COVID-19 related anxiety was associated with higher levels of somatic symptoms, generalized anxiety, and depression. About half of the sample (n = 318, 56%) reported moderate to severe somatic symptoms that were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety, lower levels of dispositional mindfulness and to the use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Overall, 164 subjects (28.8%) reported practicing meditation. No differences were found in dispositional mindfulness (MAAS score) between beginners and advanced practitioners, regardless of the type, years, frequency, and length of practice. Participants with less experience in mindfulness practice reported a significant higher number of somatic symptoms than non-practitioners and a higher use of rumination. Moreover, mindfulness experience was associated with the use of more adaptive emotion regulation strategies.ConclusionMindfulness meditation has been promoted as a practice enhancing well-being and helping to cope with the psychological impact of stressful events. However, in a distressing situation as COVID-19 pandemic, a limited experience in mindfulness practices might result in the development or endurance of somatic symptoms. Adequate training and a focus on mindful acceptance, may contribute to enhance the effectiveness of mindfulness practice.

The COVID-19 pandemic has globally affected almost every aspect of people's lives, especially, their physical and mental well-being. The degree of its impact, however, is different from place-to-place and person-to-person. Although there is a growing literature on the variable impact of the pandemic on the quality of sleep, loneliness, and mood across different populations (e.g., students, health-workers), little is known about how COVID-19-specific anxiety affects the loneliness feeling and sleep quality among students and employees, specifically, in a low-resource region like Bangladesh. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of COVID-related anxiety on the feeling of loneliness and sleep quality of students and professionals in Bangladesh. Additionally, we were interested in comparing the level of COVID-specific anxiety, loneliness, and quality of sleep between these two groups. In total, 211 Bangladeshi students and professionals participated in an online survey in August 2021 when the restriction was still in place. Measures of COVID-19 anxiety, loneliness, and sleep quality scales were used. Regression analysis indicated that overall loneliness and poor sleep quality were strongly predicted by COVID-specific anxiety regardless of being a student or professional. Almost half of the study population (48.3 %) felt severe loneliness and 70.01 % were bad sleepers. Mann-Whitney U test revealed that professionals felt more emotionally lonely, had a higher level of COVID-19-specific anxiety, and had poorer sleep quality than students. A better support structure should be implemented to help the population, particularly, the professionals to lessen their COVID-19-related anxiety and loneliness, and promote better sleep for alleviating stress and improved well-being.

BackgroundBesides physical complications, COVID-19 is associated with psychological issues such as fear and anxiety. High resilience in nurses enables them to adopt positive coping mechanisms and successfully operate in the stressful environment of COVID-19 wards. The present study aimed to evaluate the correlation between COVID-19 fear and anxiety with resilience in the emergency nurses of the hospital affiliated with Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences (west of Iran) in 2021.Materials and methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 295 emergency nurses of selected hospitals in Kurdistan province, Iran, in 2021. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Data analysis was performed in R software version 3.6.3.ResultsThe mean scores of resilience, COVID-19 fear, and COVID-19 anxiety were 55.07 ± 19.82 (ranging from 0 to 100), 20 ± 7.37 (ranging from 7 to 35) and 36.48 ± 13.21 (ranging from 18 to 54) respectively. There was a negative and significant correlation between resilience with COVID-19 fear (r = −0.449, p = 0.001), COVID-19 anxiety (r = 0.458, p = 0.001). A significant correlation was observed between COVID-19 fear and anxiety, which indicated that if the other demographic variables remained unchanged, a one-unit increase in COVID-19 fear and anxiety decreased the mean resilience score by −0.66 (P = 0.008) and −0.34 (P = 0.015), respectively.ConclusionCOVID-19 fear and anxiety were significantly correlated. Therefore, providing training courses for promoting resilience could reduce the fear and anxiety of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

People experience different levels of anxiety associated with the 2019 Coronavirus 19, which may affect their lives. The present study aimed to investigate the role of health anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and somatosensory amplification in predicting of students' COVID-19 anxiety. The research design was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of the study included students of Guilan University in 2020. By using available sampling method, through online calling, 200 students participated in the study. Data were collected from the Covid-19 Anxiety Scale (Wheaton et al), Short-term health Anxiety Measurement (Salkovskis et al), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (Taylor et al), and somatosensory amplification Scale (Barsky et al). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation tests and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that health anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and somatosensory amplification were positively and significantly correlated with COVID-19 anxiety. Regression results showed that these variables significantly predicted 55% of the new coronavirus anxiety. It seems that the high anxiety level of COVID-19 in students, can enhance their anxiety and sensitivity about health state and they would exaggerate physical and emotional symptoms. Thus, the University's psychological and Counseling Services must take steps to reduce the anxiety of COVID-19 and increase students' awareness.

COVID-19 mortality rates are increasing worldwide, which has led to many highly restrictive precautionary measures and a strong sense of anxiety about the outbreak for many people around the world. There is thus an increasing concern about COVID-19 anxiety, resulting in recommending approaches for effective self-care. From a positive psychology perspective, it is also important for people to have positive affect when dealing with this pandemic. According to previous literature, respiration is considered to be an effective way to enhance people’s mental health. Among all the wearable devices, Apple Watch has the largest market share, so this study recruited Chinese users that use respiration exercise function on Apple Watch; a total of 316 valid data were retrieved. Meanwhile, to understand one approach related to using Apple Watch to practice respiration to reduce COVID-19 anxiety about being infected during the COVID-19 outbreak, this study used a web-based cross-sectional survey to examine anxiety about being infected by COVID-19 among Chinese people who had been using the Apple Watch to practice respiration during the period of the COVID-19 outbreak. The study was based on the Health Theoretical Model, and the model was developed with four dimensions and was validated with structural equation modeling. The results of this study showed that practicing few minutes had a positive relationship on positive attitude, and positive attitude had a negative relationship on pandemic anxiety and a positive relationship on continuance use intention. Anxiety about the pandemic had a negative relationship on the intention to continue using the function. This showed that respiration practice can help to suppress the increase in anxiety levels regarding this pandemic.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between anxiety, depression, subjective well-being, and academic performance in Peruvian university health science students with COVID-19-infected relatives. Eight hundred two university students aged 17–54 years (Mean 21.83; SD = 5.31); 658 females (82%) and 144 males (18%); who completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Subjective Well-being Scale (SWB), and Self-reporting of Academic Performance participated. A partial unregularized network was estimated using the ggmModSelect function. Expected influence (EI) values were calculated to identify the central nodes and a two-tailed permutation test for the difference between the two groups (COVID-19 infected and uninfected). The results reveal that a depression and well-being node (PHQ1-SWB3) presents the highest relationship. The most central nodes belonged to COVID-19 anxiety, and there are no global differences between the comparison networks; but at the local level, there are connections in the network of COVID-19-infected students that are not in the group that did not present this diagnosis. It is concluded that anxious–depressive symptomatology and its relationship with well-being and evaluation of academic performance should be considered in order to understand the impact that COVID-19 had on health sciences students.

Social distancing measures can create psychological issues, especially among hospital staff who constantly deal with emergency patients. To explore the mediating role of COVID-19 anxiety on the association between COVID-19 safety protocols and mental health, and to test the moderating role of resilience between COVID-19 safety protocols and COVID-19 anxiety, this work collected data on hospital staff in terms of COVID-19 safety protocols, psychological resilience, COVID-19 anxiety, and improving staff mental health. The effects of the use of COVID-19 safety protocols on COVID-19 anxiety and the mental health of hospital workers in China were also analyzed. The experimental results showed that resilience remarkably moderated COVID-19 safety protocols and COVID-19 anxiety among Chinese hospital staff.