Investigating the Mediating Role of Covid-19 Fear in the Relationship between Positive and Negative Affect and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Spiritual Well-Being during the Limitations of the Corona Virus Epidemic in 2021: A Descriptive Study

The unbridled release of Covid-19 can affect the mental health of people. The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of Covid-19 fear in the relationship between positive and negative affect and post-traumatic stress disorder and spiritual well-being during the limitations of the Corona virus epidemic.

In the current descriptive study, the statistical population included all the employees and professors of the state universities of Gorgan in 2021, out of which 360 people were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling. The research instruments included Watson’s Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Marmar and Weiss’s Impact of Event Scale-Revised, a Covid-19 fear scale, and Ellison and Paloutzian’s Spiritual Well Being Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling.

The results showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between positive emotion and fear of covid-19 (r=-0.370 and p<0.001), and between positive emotion and post-traumatic stress disorder (r=-0.321 and p<0.001), and a positive and significant relationship has been obtained with spiritual well-being (p<0.001 and r=0.440). The fitting results of the model showed that positive affect due to fear of covid-19 has an effect on reducing spiritual well-being (p<0.001), and negative affect due to fear of covid-19 can increase post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (p<0.001).

The continuous fluctuations in its epidemic status can indicate a source of re-emergence of a stressful event that may reduce this fear by strengthening positive emotions and the spiritual dimension. Key words:

The unbridled release of Covid-19 can affect the mental health of people. The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of Covid-19 fear in the relationship between positive and negative affect and post-traumatic stress disorder and spiritual well-being during the limitations of the Corona virus epidemic.

In the current descriptive study, the statistical population included all the employees and professors of the state universities of Gorgan in 2021, out of which 360 people were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling. The research instruments included Watson’s Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Marmar and Weiss’s Impact of Event Scale-Revised, a Covid-19 fear scale, and Ellison and Paloutzian’s Spiritual Well Being Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling.

The results showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between positive emotion and fear of covid-19 (r=-0.370 and p<0.001), and between positive emotion and post-traumatic stress disorder (r=-0.321 and p<0.001), and a positive and significant relationship has been obtained with spiritual well-being (p<0.001 and r=0.440). The fitting results of the model showed that positive affect due to fear of covid-19 has an effect on reducing spiritual well-being (p<0.001), and negative affect due to fear of covid-19 can increase post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (p<0.001).

The continuous fluctuations in its epidemic status can indicate a source of re-emergence of a stressful event that may reduce this fear by strengthening positive emotions and the spiritual dimension.