Open AccessDoes fear mediate the neuroticism-psychopathology link for adults living through the COVID-19 pandemic?
Author(s) -
Sherman A. Lee,
Mary C. Jobe
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
clinical medicine insights. psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1179-5573
DOI - 10.1177/11795573211069912
Subject(s) - neuroticism , anxiety , psychopathology , psychology , clinical psychology , pandemic , distress , death anxiety , psychiatry , mental health , covid-19 , medicine , personality , social psychology , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Background COVID-19 has globally increased psychological distress. Although research has shown a clear link between neuroticism and psychopathology, pandemic fears—manifesting as fear of death and coronavirus anxiety, have not been examined as mediating factors for explaining this connection during the pandemic.Methods Therefore, to fill this void in the literature, this study examined 259 U.S. MTurk adult workers in May 2020 using an online questionnaire. The study used the Patient Health Questionnaire, the 8-item Big Five Inventory neuroticism subscale, a single-item fear of death measure, and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale as well as collected demographic information to perform correlational and meditation analyses.Results The results showed that both coronavirus anxiety and fear of death partially mediated the relationship between neuroticism and symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety. The results also found that those high in trait neuroticism who were fearful of death or had coronavirus anxiety showed heightened levels of depression and general anxiety.Conclusion This study’s findings were consistent with previous research and current work on pandemic-related distress. In addition, the results of these findings can help bring to light the connectedness of these psychopathological constructs with fears surrounding the pandemic—which can be useful to both researchers and mental health professionals alike.