Locus of control moderates the association of COVID-19 stress and general mental distress: results of a Norwegian and a German-speaking cross-sectional survey

Krampe, Henning; Danbolt, Lars Johan; Haver, Annie; Stålsett, Gry; Schnell, Tatjana

doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03418-5

Cited by 57 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…This was especially true for younger men and women. We interpret that the Covid-19 has created unpredicting circumstances and different restrictions have taken away the individual sense of freedom and ability to take control over everyday living for a shorter or longer period (Krampe et al, 2021). Since May 2020 we have seen the pandemic evolved over time and restrictions such as lockdowns were lifted and reintroduced again several times.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Mental well-being, health, and locus of control in Danish adults before and during COVID-19

Würtzen

Clausen

Andersen

et al. 2021

Acta Neuropsychiatr.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate possible impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on general health, mental well-being, and experiences of control compared to pre-pandemic populations. Our hypotheses were that we would observe a significant lower level of psychological wellbeing and general health in the 2020 sample compared to the prepandemic samples, and that we would observe younger age groups to be the most effected. Method: Two representative Danish populations (2016, n=1656) and (2017, n=3366) were compared to a representative Danish population (n=1538) sampled during the first lockdown in May 2020. Two-tailed tests of proportions were used to investigate possible differences between samples in proportions reporting poorer mental well-being measured by WHO-5, general health, and internal locus of control. Results: Younger men (aged 18 24) and younger women (aged 18 – 44) as well as elderly women (aged 65-74) reported lower mental well-being during the early phase of the pandemic compared to the population from 2016. Both women and men in 2020 to report significantly lower levels of internal locus of control compared to the 2017 sample. This was especially true for younger men and women. There were no statistically significant differences in general health between populations. Discussion: This study partly supports the hypothesis that the the Covid-19 pandemic affected mental well-being negatively among younger persons. However, longitudinal studies are needed to investigate possible longterm effects of the pandemic on mental health and well-being. Further, qualitative studies are needed to investigate in-depth the consequenses of Covid-19.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Mental well-being, health, and locus of control in Danish adults before and during COVID-19

Würtzen

Clausen

Andersen

et al. 2021

Acta Neuropsychiatr.

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“…The HLC has three categories: internal HLC refers to individuals' belief that their own behaviors affect their health status, whereas external HLC refers to individuals' belief that their health is attributed to other people-mainly medical professionals-or chance variables such as luck and fate. The latest research shows that HLC plays an important role in moderating the association of COVID-19 stress and mental distress in general population [25]. Researchers indicate that the locus of control shifted significantly from internal to external during the pandemic in the studied groups, which is explained by increased feelings of powerlessness in the early phase of the pandemic [26,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Mental Health Status of People with Multiple Sclerosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Wilski¹,

Koper²,

Gabryelski

et al. 2022

JCM

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Objective. This study assesses and compares the mental health status of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in Poland during the second wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (November 2020) to a similar group whose mental health status was examined in November 2017. It also analyzed the psychological resources such as self-efficacy and health locus of control (HLC) and their relationship to mental health in both groups. Methods. Cross-sectional study included two groups of PwMS with 113 respondents each. The respondents completed the General Health Questionnaire-12 and questionnaires for assessing self-efficacy and HLC. The clinical and demographic data of participants were also collected. Results. No differences in mental health status were observed between the studied groups. A hierarchical regression model of the group studied in 2020 revealed that general self-efficacy (β = −0.21, p = 0.032), HLC—internal (β = −0.21, p = 0.035), and education (β = −0.18, p = 0.048) explained 18% of the variance in the mental health of PwMS, whereas according to the model of the group assessed in 2017 self-efficacy (β = –0.31, p < 0.001), HLC—chance (β = 0.45, p < 0.001), and HLC—internal (β = −0.37, p < 0.001) explained 48% of the variance. Conclusions. Study results suggest that the pandemic and the related lockdown had no effect on the mental health status of PwMS. At the same time, it was noted that well known determinants of mental health such as self-efficacy and HLC seemed to retain their prominent role for mental functioning in the pandemic.

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“…At T1, a seven-item COVID-19 stress scale [2,32,33] was employed to determine the experience of acute stress due to the pandemic. Using a six-point Likert scale (0-5), it taps feelings of intolerability, boredom, anger, fear, and pessimism.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meaningfulness Buffers and Crisis of Meaning Mediates The Longitudinal Effect of Covid-19 Stress On General Mental Distress

Schnell

Krampe

2022

Preprint

Self Cite

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Background: Reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic are diverse. People who experience the situation as stressful (COVID-19 stress) appear vulnerable to developing general mental distress. Moreover, existential crises can arise. The identification of buffering factors and their effect over time is therefore highly relevant. The current study examined longitudinal protective effects of meaningfulness and self-control and negative effects of crisis of meaning on general mental distress. Methods: N=431 participants from Germany and Austria (mean age: 42 years) completed an online survey in both April/May (T1) and July/August 2020 (T2). We examined (i) whether two personal resources, meaningfulness, and self-control, measured at T1, moderated the longitudinal effect of COVID-19 stress (T1) on general mental distress (T2), and (ii) whether crisis of meaning (T1) mediated the latter effect. Results: Meaningfulness and self-control predicted lower symptoms of anxiety and depression over time, and crisis of meaning predicted higher symptoms. Meaningfulness but not self-control buffered the longitudinal effect of COVID-19 stress on general mental distress. COVID-19 stress was associated with crisis of meaning which, in further consequence, predicted general mental distress three months later. Conclusions: Meaningfulness and self-control appear to have generally protective effects on psychological distress. Moreover, meaningfulness seems to be particularly protective when people feel burdened by the situation. Strengthening this resource is thus especially appropriate for vulnerable populations. Measures that support meaningfulness will also prevent the emergence of crises of meaning, which can be triggered by acute stress reactions and appear to affect mental health in the longer term.

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Locus of control moderates the association of COVID-19 stress and general mental distress: results of a Norwegian and a German-speaking cross-sectional survey

Cited by 57 publications

References 72 publications

Mental well-being, health, and locus of control in Danish adults before and during COVID-19

Mental well-being, health, and locus of control in Danish adults before and during COVID-19

Mental Health Status of People with Multiple Sclerosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Meaningfulness Buffers and Crisis of Meaning Mediates The Longitudinal Effect of Covid-19 Stress On General Mental Distress

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