Social isolation and the mitigation of coronavirus anxiety: The mediating role of meaning

Pandemic Grief Scale: A screening tool for dysfunctional grief due to a COVID-19 loss

“…For example, although women tend to be at a greater risk of developing grief and affective disorder than men (APA, 2013), the men in this study were found to have higher PGS scores than women. The explanation for this unanticipated gender difference remains elusive, but it might reflect the unique context of pandemic loss, which has been shown to challenge the assumptive world of taken-for-granted beliefs that the future is in some measure predictable, life is controllable, and the self is worthy, which in turn has been found to mediate the impact of pandemic stressors on mental health outcomes (Milman et al, 2020). If bereaved men were found to be particularly prone to disruption of such beliefs, this might help explain their being at greater risk for elevated pandemic grief.…”

“…More broadly, numerous studies have documented the link between inability to find sense or significance in the loss and more intense grief symptomatology (Neimeyer, 2019). Relatedly, research on people living through the COVID-19 pandemic has also shown that failed attempts to make meaning of this infectious disease outbreak is associated with poor mental health outcomes (Milman et al, 2020;Trzebi nski et al, 2020).…”

COVID-19: Common Constructions of the Pandemic and Their Implications

“…This refers to a kaleidoscope of data created in order to give meaning to something that appears to be outside our understanding. A recent constructivist study (Milman et al, 2020) provided evidence for the thesis that challenges to core beliefs and meanings are predictive of coronavirus anxiety, or "coronaphobia" (Asmundson & Taylor, 2020). Coronavirus anxiety appears to be positively correlated with functional impairment, fear about coronavirus, alcohol or drug coping, negative religious coping, extreme hopelessness, and passive suicidal ideation (Lee et al, 2020).…”

“…When the restrictions have lessened, some people have still found it difficult to go out and resume work or leisure activities (Cummins, 2020). As Milman et al (2020) have documented, staying at home can also contribute to a decrease in anxiety because following strict rules in order to avoid the risk of contagion provides a sense of control over something that is otherwise highly unpredictable.…”

Work status, death anxiety and psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic: Implications of the terror management theory

“…If this psychological structure is strengthened, death-related thoughts are reduced. Therefore, one's work status is thought to act as an anxiety buffering mechanism, reducing mortality salience and death concerns (Milman et al, 2020).…”