Fear of coronavirus (COVID-19) and mental health outcomes in Palestine: The mediating role of social support.

ABSTRACT

The current investigation was conducted to test the correlation between fear due to coronavirus (COVID-19) and mental health outcomes (stress, depression, and anxiety) and the mediating role of social support during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Palestine. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to test the conceptual model, where fear of Covid-19 was considered as a predictor, social support as a mediating variable, and mental health (stress, depression, and anxiety) as outcomes. The participants involved were 370 Palestinians, 266 females, and the remaining were males. Participants were recruited through online methods; Facebook advertising, Network email, and Twitter during the COVID-19 in Palestine. Results of the study showed that fear related to COVID-19 was positively and significantly correlated with mental health outcomes (anxiety; r = .29, p < .01, depression; r = .25, p < .01, and stress; r = .36, p < .01), while negatively correlated to perceived emotional support (r = -.30, p < .01), support seeking (r = -.29, p < .01), and received support (r = -.31, p < .01). Results of SEM indicated a standardized total effect of social support on mental health outcomes (ßX, M = -.57; p < .001), and an indirect but statistically significant effect (via social support, ßX, M, Y = -. 286; p < .01). These results indicate that social support fully mediated the relationship between fear associated with COVID-19 and mental health distress (stress, depression, and anxiety). The current study supported previous findings demonstrating that fear related to COVID-19 positively correlated with mental health distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). In addition, social support mediated the relationship between fear of COVID19 and mental health outcomes. However, further investigations are needed to test the correlation between current study variables and other associated factors and develop intervention programs targeting affected populations during crises to enhance mental health outcomes.