During the COVID-19 pandemic, the fear of being infected, losing relatives, and measures taken to prevent contamination (e.g., lockdowns, quarantining, spatial distancing, etc.) have all increased the risk of depression, anxiety and stress. In the present study, the relationship between psychological distress, meaning in life, and life satisfaction was explored among individuals who were infected and not infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic. The present study is the first to examine these variables simultaneously. The sample comprised 687 adult individuals over the age of 18 years (mean=30.51 years). Results indicated that adult individuals with high life satisfaction had lower levels of psychological distress, find life more meaningful, and seek meaning less. Psychological distress was positively related with the search for meaning in life and negatively related with the existence of meaning in life. Moreover, depressive symptoms and the existence of meaning in life were significant predictors of life satisfaction. Durante la pandemia de COVID-19, el miedo a infectarse, perder a familiares y las medidas tomadas para prevenir la contaminación (por ejemplo, cierres, cuarentenas, distanciamiento espacial, etc.) han aumentado el riesgo de depresión, ansiedad y estrés. En el presente estudio, se exploró la relación entre la angustia psicológica, el significado de la vida y la satisfacción con la vida entre personas infectadas y no infectadas con COVID-19 durante la pandemia. El presente estudio es el primero en examinar estas variables simultáneamente. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 687 adultos mayores de 18 años (media = 30,51 años). Los resultados indicaron que las personas adultas con una alta satisfacción con la vida tenían niveles más bajos de angustia psicológica, encontraban la vida más significativa y buscaban menos el significado. El malestar psicológico se relacionó positivamente con la búsqueda de sentido en la vida y negativamente con la existencia de sentido en la vida. Además, la depresión y la existencia de sentido en la vida fueron predictores significativos de la satisfacción con la vida.

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the physical and mental health of individuals. Measures required to prevent the spread of the virus, such as isolation, hygiene, mask use, and lockdown, led individuals to develop obsessive thoughts and behaviors. This study aims to adapt the obsession with COVID-19 scale (OCS) to Turkish culture. This four-item scale aims at measuring obsessive thoughts related to COVID-19. The study group consisted of 870 participants from seven regions of Turkey. Data from different groups were collected for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Data for the exploratory factor analysis were collected from 296 (71.5%) females and 118 (28.5%) males (n = 414). For the confirmatory factor analysis, data were collected from 301 (66.0%) females and 155 (34.0%) males (n = 456). As a result of the analysis, the one-dimensional structure of the TR-OCS was confirmed in the Turkish sample. It was revealed that TR-OCS scores had a positive relationship with depression, anxiety, and stress but a negative relationship with resilience. The findings confirmed that the TR-OCS was valid and reliable. This scale is a short and effective tool for measuring obsessive thoughts related to COVID-19.

People by nature tend to experience more positive emotions and less negative emotions. For centuries, philosophers have stated that happiness is the ultimate source of human motivation. Therefore, many individuals think that the more positive emotions they experience, the happier they will be, and they strive for it. Many different situations such as socioeconomic level, educational status, gender, culture affect the level of happiness of individuals, but the desire to be happy is present in every segment. The endless pursuit of happiness can often lead to unrealistic expectations and some psychological problems in the face of life events. The increase in positive emotions can open up more space for the person to learn, think and develop together with happiness. However, positive emotions do not consist of happiness, but there are also different emotions that contribute to happiness and nourish the person. The positive emotions experienced by the person in daily life are important in terms of better performance and healthier relationships. In this respect, when we look at the literature on this subject, it has been seen that there is a gap in the studies conducted in Turkey. Emotions are important determinants of behavior. Any risky behavior that may arise can be harmful to both the individual and the society. Emotion regulation also affects behavior positively. For this purpose, the aim of this study is to deal with positive emotions, which have not been discussed before, in a theoretical dimension, to adapt these emotions to daily life, to increase the resources that the person has and to convey their reflections on the lifestyle.

COVID-19 salgını küçükten büyüğe her yaş grubunu birçok alanda derinden etkilemiştir. Özellikle yetişkin bireyler salgının sebep olduğu sağlık ve sosyal problemlerin yanı sıra arka planda ekonomik etkilerine de maruz kalmışlardır. Bu durum yetişkinlerin ruh sağlığı ve mental iyi oluşlarını olumsuz etkilemiştir. Salgın sürecindeki psikolojik süreçlerin ele alındığı bu çalışmada yetişkinlerin bilinçli farkındalık, depresyon, anksiyete ve stres düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu %72.4’ü (n=364) yetişkin kadın ve %27.6’sı (n= 139) yetişkin erkek oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada ‘Bilinçli Farkındalık Ölçeği’ ve ‘DASS-21 Ölçeği’ uygulanmıştır. İlişkisel tarama yöntemi kullanılan bu çalışmadan elde edilen bulgular incelendiğinde cinsiyete göre bilinçli farkındalık, depresyon, anksiyete ve stres düzeylerinin anlamlı şekilde farklılaştığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Yetişkin bireylerin bilinçli farkındalık düzeyleri arttıkça depresyon, anksiyete ve stres düzeylerinin azaldığı görülmüştür. Ayrıca depresyon ve anksiyete bilinçli farkındalığın anlamlı yordayıcılardır

Self-esteem is characterized by self-evaluation and affects the social, emotional, and academic aspects of life. In this respect, high self-esteem is important for human mental health. This research aimed to determine university students' intolerance of uncertainty and alexithymia levels to predict their self-esteem. The research group comprised 365 undergraduate students. The data were collected using the “Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE)," "Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS)," and “Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS)." The analysis results of this study, in which the predictive correlational design was employed, revealed that self-esteem decreased as the level of alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty increased. Besides, alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty were significant predictors of self-esteem. It is hypothesized that interventions to increase self-esteem will reduce levels of alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty. The integration of findings regarding alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty, which are more common in clinical samples, into education will improve academic achievement and welfare.