Investigating the Relationship Between Perceived Stress and Health Anxiety and the Quality of Life (QoL) During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective :

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a major treat to physical and mental health of people and has affected their quality of life (QoL) by causing various psychological problems. This study aims to investigate the relationship of perceived stress and health anxiety with quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods :

In this descriptive study, 320 residents of Isfahan, Iran over 16 years of age in 2021 were selected by a convenience sampling method. Data were collected online using the Health Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale and the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief Version. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation test and multiple regression analysis in SPSS v. 24 software.

Results :

The results of Pearson correlation test showed a significant negative relationship between perceived helplessness (r=-0.606), perceived stress (r=-0.706), risk of disease (r=-0.278), negative effect of disease (r=-0.528) and health anxiety (r=-0.369, P<0.01). There was also a significant positive relationship between perceived self-efficacy and quality of life (r=0.628, P<0.01). Moreover, the results of regression analysis showed that perceived self-efficacy, negative effect of disease, and perceived helplessness could significantly predict 57.5% of the variance in the quality of life (P<0.01).

Conclusion:

 High perceived stress and health anxiety can lead to a decrease in the QoL of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is suggested that appropriate psychological interventions be designed and implemented to reduce people's stress and health anxiety and improve their QoL.