Regulatory emotional self-efficacy and anxiety in times of pandemic: a gender perspective

Abstract

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown and containment measures have instigated substantial changes in our daily lives and have affected many people’s mental health. This paper reports two studies exploring gender-based differences with regard to the impact of COVID-related confinement on individuals’ self-efficacy to regulate negative emotions (RESE-NE) and anxiety. Methods: Study 1 (cross-sectional; 269 participants; 52% women) explored the evolution of RESE-NE and anxiety. To this end, participants assessed their status at two time points: a retrospective assessment of the period before confinement in Spain, and a current assessment during confinement. Study 2 (longitudinal; 114 participants; 72.2% women) explored the evolution of the variables by adding a post-confinement time point and analyzed the mediating role of RESE-NE in the positivity–anxiety and resilience–anxiety relationships. Results: The results confirmed that: (a) RESE-NE decreased and anxiety increased more among women than among men during confinement (Study 1); (b) women recovered their pre-pandemic levels of mental health more slowly than did men following confinement; and (c) the mediating role of RESE-NE could be observed in the two relationships under analysis. Conclusion: In practical terms, the research highlights the need to pay special attention to women undergoing mental health interventions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to the differential burden that the pandemic may entail for men and women and to the contrasting social roles traditionally attributed to them. From the gender differences identified, it is possible to infer how stereotypes and social roles influence the behavior and mental health of men and women, leading them to cope differently with stressful situations such as confinement.

The Moderating Role of Perceived Efficacy of COVID-19 Prevention Measures on the Relation Between Perceived Risk and Perceived Mental Health

“…The pandemic has had serious consequences related to mental health (Ausín et al, 2021;Brooks et al, 2020;Cuadrado et al, 2021;Cuadrado, Rich-Ruiz et al, 2023;González-Sanguino et al, 2021;Meng et al, 2023;Sicouri et al, 2023;Tull et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2020). The question is, can the perceived efficacy of COVID-19 prevention measures act as a moderating variable of these effects, specifically in the face of stress and depression?…”

“…In several countries, governments declared stay-at-home orders due to the public health emergency, limiting social activity and applying general homeconfinement rules, usually excepting travel for essential jobs (Cohen & Kupferschmidt, 2020). The confinement and situation of stay-at-home orders have been associated with decreased mental health (Ausín et al, 2021;Brooks et al, 2020;Cuadrado et al, 2021;Cuadrado, Rich-Ruiz et al, 2023;González-Sanguino et al, 2021;Tull et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2020), with significant increases in stress and depression suffered by individuals. This decrease in mental health, in com-parison to the pre-pandemic state, has been seen as a consequence of both social limitations and a decrease in the practice of healthy habits related to diet, physical exercise, and sleep during confinement (Ammar et al, 2021).…”

Is Regulatory Emotion Self-Efficacy Playing a Mediating Role? Impact of Lifestyle Habits on Subjective Well-Being

“…In medical contexts, strong self-efficacy can help reduce anxiety, improve healthcare decisionmaking, and increase general well-being 24 .…”

Psychological Reactions during and after a Lockdown: Self-Efficacy as a Protective Factor of Mental Health

“…In short, high levels of self-efficacy are associated with low levels of anxiety. Furthermore, several studies have shown that self-efficacy acted as a protective factor for mental health during lockdown periods [31][32][33][34]66,91]. In addition, self-efficacy proves crucial in overcoming particularly traumatic events [92,93].…”

“…Very little data is currently available on the mental health of individuals once the restrictions have ended or on the relationship between mental health and days of lockdown [6]. Notably, according to some studies, high levels of self-efficacy play a key role in preserving the mental health of individuals during lockdown [31][32][33][34]. Self-efficacy is defined as the perception of one's own ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task [35,36].…”