The quality of life, resources, and coping during the first weeks of the COVID‑19 pandemic in people seeking psychological counselling before the pandemic

• Authors: Joanna Chwaszcz , Agnieszka Palacz-Chrisidis , Michał Wiechetek , Rafał P. Bartczuk , Iwona Niewiadomska , Patrycja Wośko , Patrycja Sławska-Jaroszewska

Abstracts

EN

ObjectivesThis study aimed to understand the relationship between resource gains and losses, coping, and the quality of life during the growth phase of the COVID‑19 pandemic.Material and MethodsThe Internet-based survey covered 353 individuals who had participated in a psychological support project operated by one of the non-governmental organizations in Lublin, Poland, in the 12 months prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. The questionnaire used in the study contained questions to collect sociodemographic data and psychometric scales to measure resource gains and losses (the Conservation of Resources – Evaluation questionnaire), the quality of life (the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF), and strategies of coping with the pandemic situation (a modified Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced questionnaire).ResultsA higher global quality of life occurred with higher gains and minor losses, as well as with coping through planning, positive reframing, emotional support seeking, a reduced substance use tendency, low self-blame, avoidance, and disengagement. Moreover, helplessness-based coping strategies were found to mediate both the relationships between resource gains and the quality of life, and between resource losses and the quality of life.ConclusionsFactors that may reduce people’s quality of life during the COVID‑19 pandemic are an increase in losses and limited gains, experienced over the 6 months preceding the pandemic, as well as not using active, meaning-oriented, and support-seeking coping strategies, but using avoidance behaviors instead. Coping strategies specific to people experiencing helplessness are a mediating mechanism between losses and limited gains of resources, and the quality of life.

Keywords

EN

quality of life; COVID‑19; coping; personal adjustment; conservation of resources; pandemic

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
• Year: 2021
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 275-287

Dates

published

2021

Contributors

author

Joanna Chwaszcz

• The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland (Institute of Psychology)

author

Agnieszka Palacz-Chrisidis

• PsychoSfera, Lublin, Poland (Independent Researcher)

author

Michał Wiechetek

• The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland (Institute of Psychology)

author

Rafał P. Bartczuk

• The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland (Institute of Psychology)

author

Iwona Niewiadomska

• The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland (Institute of Psychology)

author

Patrycja Wośko

• The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland (Institute of Psychology)

author

Patrycja Sławska-Jaroszewska

• The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland (Institute of Psychology)

Identifiers

DOI

10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01700

Biblioteka Nauki

2086089