The COVID-19 pandemic has been a worldwide threat to individuals’ physical and psychological well-being. Empirical studies show that fear and anxiety are among the most common reactions to the pandemic. There is evidence that fear of COVID-19 (FCV) may contribute to elevated levels of psychological distress and if not regulated effectively, it might create a vulnerability for the initiation of psychological problems. The purpose of the current study was to explore the mediator and moderator role of cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies in the relationship between FCV and psychological distress. Data was collected from 587 Turkish adults (Mage = 37, SD = 15.25) via online self-report questionnaires on FCV, CER strategies, and measures of psychological distress. We tested a multiple mediation model predicting psychological distress from FCV with CER strategies as mediators. The model was significant and among the CER strategies acceptance, rumination, catastrophizing, and blaming others partially mediated the association between FCV and psychological distress. The moderator role of acceptance was also significant, indicating a stronger relationship between FCV and psychological distress among those with more frequent use of acceptance as a CER strategy. Our findings indicate that the use of CER strategies plays a role in the link between FCV and the level of psychological distress. Targeting the use of less adaptive strategies might be an effective way to improve psychological well-being during the pandemic.
Keywords
COVID-19, emotion regulation, fear of COVID-19, psychological distress