COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Stressors and Posttraumatic Stress: The Main, Moderating, Indirect, and Mediating Effects of Social Support
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a variety of challenges and stressors including disease related stressors (e.g., personal exposure to COVED-19, hospitalization or loss of a loved one due to COVED-19) and other secondary stressors (e.g., social isolation, loss of jobs, significant changes in daily activities) that have arisen from pandemic control measures. Research suggests that exposure to some of these stressors may trigger posttraumatic stress (PTS)-like symptoms; however, we have limited knowledge on cumulative effects of these stressors on COVED-19- related PTS symptoms or on variables that may mitigate the effects of these stressors. In the present study, we tested three models to examine the interrelationships among pandemic-related stressors (i.e., COVID-19-related stressors and secondary stressors), perceived social support, coping flexibility, and COVID-19-related PTS symptoms in a sample of adults from the United States. A cross-sectional correlational study design was used and participants were recruited through email invitations, social networking sites, online communities, and websites (final N= 2,291). All participants completed an online survey between May 22nd, 2020 and July 15th, 2020. Results indicated that greater exposure to secondary stressors, but not COVID-19-related stressors, was associated with increased PTS. After controlling for COVID-19-related and secondary stressors, social support had negative direct and indirect (via coping flexibility) effects on PTS. In addition, social support mediated the effects ofCOVED-19-related and secondary stressors on PTS. Our findings highlight the complexity of the role of social support in relation to pandemic-related stressors and PTS, and suggest that early interventions that target social support and coping flexibility may help reduce pandemic-related PTS.
Subject Area
Clinical psychology|Mental health|Public health
Recommended Citation
Zaken, Mali, "COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Stressors and Posttraumatic Stress: The Main, Moderating, Indirect, and Mediating Effects of Social Support" (2021). ETD Collection for Pace University. AAI28796995.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dissertations/AAI28796995
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