The Resilience of South African School Teachers in the Time of COVID-19: Coping with Risk of Infection, Loneliness, and Anxiety.

Journal: International journal of environmental research and public health

Volume: 20

Issue: 4

Year of Publication: 2023

Affiliated Institutions:  Department of Psychology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville , South Africa.

Abstract summary 

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an overall increase in the global prevalence of mental health disorders and psychological distress. However, against this backdrop, there was also evidence of adaptation and coping, which suggested the influence of protective factors. The current study aims to extend previous research on the role of protective factors by investigating the health-sustaining and mediating roles of resilience in the relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease, loneliness, and anxiety. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of schoolteachers (N = 355) who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, the short form of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, and the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, through an online link created with Google Forms. The results of path analysis indicated significant negative associations between resilience and both loneliness and anxiety. These results indicate the health-sustaining role of resilience. In addition, resilience mediated the relationships between germ aversion and perceived infectability, on the one hand, and loneliness and anxiety, on the other hand. The findings confirm that resilience can play a substantial role in counteracting the negative impact of the pandemic on mental health.

Authors & Co-authors:  Padmanabhanunni Anita A Pretorius Tyrone T

Study Outcome 

Source Link: Visit source

Statistics
Citations :  Ji J.L., Basanovic J., MacLeod C. Social activity promotes resilience against loneliness in depressed individuals: A study over 14-days of physical isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Sci. Rep. 2022;12:7155. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-11315-4.
Authors :  2
Identifiers
Doi : 3462
SSN : 1660-4601
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Humans
Other Terms
anxiety;germ aversion;loneliness;path analysis;perceived infectability;resilience
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
South Africa
Publication Country
Switzerland