COVID-19-Related Fear and Anxiety: Spiritual-Religious Coping in Healthcare Workers in Portugal

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of the general population, and for healthcare workers (HCWs) it has been no different. Religiosity and spirituality are known coping strategies for mental illnesses, especially in stressful times. This study aimed to describe the role of spiritual-religious coping regarding fear and anxiety in relation to COVID-19 in HCWs in Portugal. A cross-sectional quantitative online survey was performed. Socio-demographic and health data were collected as well as the Duke University Religion Index, Spirituality Scale, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale. Two hundred and twenty-two HCWs participated in the study, 74.3% were female and 81.1% were physicians. The median age was 37 years (Q1, Q3: 31, 51.3). Religiosity was neither a significant factor for coronavirus-related anxiety nor it was for fear of COVID-19. Participants with higher levels in the hope/optimism dimension of the Spirituality Scale showed less coronavirus-related anxiety. Female HCWs, non-physicians, and the ones with a previous history of anxiety presented higher levels of fear and/or anxiety related to COVID-19. HCWs’ levels of distress should be identified and reduced, so their work is not impaired.

Motivation to COVID-19 Vaccination and Reasons for Hesitancy in Employees of a Czech Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Szmyd et al found a statistically significantly higher assessment of fear among physicians compared to administrative healthcare assistants [ 16 ]. In contrast, significantly lower fear levels in physicians among other HCWs were detected in cross-sectional surveys by Prazeres et al ( n = 222) and Collantoni et al ( n = 996), using the Fear of COVID-19 scale [ 17 , 18 ]. There were no statistically significant differences in the fear levels depending on job types in our study.…”

Religiosity, Emotions, Resilience, and Wellness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Taiwanese University Students

“…In the recent past, this subject has also aroused a modest interest in the field of psychology, explicitly investigating that religion may serve as a source of certain emotions and may also lead to emotional health [ 11 ]. This also holds base within the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, wherein religion, religiosity and emotions are essential factors in the coping process [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Thus, it can be considered common sense that religiosity, which includes some kind of religious practices and beliefs, is closely linked to people’s emotional experiences and wellness evaluations.…”

“…Studies have shown that both religiosity and resiliency played an important role in promoting wellness in times of pandemic [ 32 , 33 ]. For instance, in Portugal, healthcare and frontline workers have all noted the significant effects of religiosity in fostering resiliency [ 13 , 34 ]. Further, resilience has been shown to improve the subjective and psychological well-being of faculty during COVID-19 [ 35 ].…”

Factors beyond Workplace Matter: The Effect of Family Support and Religious Attendance on Sustaining Well-Being of High-Technology Employees

“…Aside from job resources in the physical world, high-technology employees facing constant work-related stress can turn to the spiritual world (i.e., religion as a source of resources) [28] for work predicaments [29] and for success at work [30]. Associating with people sharing the same faith in religious ceremonies or activities is a situation that enables one to trust others [31], to relax and be relieved from stress by being temporarily away from troubles [32], and to experience well-being through interactions with people sharing the same values [31].…”

“…Associating with people sharing the same faith in religious ceremonies or activities is a situation that enables one to trust others [31], to relax and be relieved from stress by being temporarily away from troubles [32], and to experience well-being through interactions with people sharing the same values [31]. Both in Eastern and Western culture traditions, adherents and believers interact by attending religious activities and provide emotional support to one another that promotes well-being [28,33]. Therefore, religious activities are a type of activity in which high-technology employees may be willing to participate in their free time.…”