Effects of Health Anxiety, Social Support, and Coping on Dissociation with Mediating Role of Perceived Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic

László Róbert Kolozsvári (), Viktor Rekenyi, Szabolcs Garbóczy, Ágnes Hőgye-Nagy, Anita Szemán-Nagy, Mohamed Sayed-Ahmad and Katalin Héjja-Nagy
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László Róbert Kolozsvári: Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Viktor Rekenyi: Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Szabolcs Garbóczy: Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Ágnes Hőgye-Nagy: Department of Work and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Anita Szemán-Nagy: Department of Personality and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Mohamed Sayed-Ahmad: Department of Radiology and Imaging Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Katalin Héjja-Nagy: Department of Personality and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 8, 1-25

Abstract: Background: Our study aimed to examine whether health anxiety, social support, and ways of coping relate to dissociation directly or only through the mediation of perceived stress, moderated by the time of measurement (lockdown). We investigated the effect of perceived stress on different forms (sub-scales) of dissociation. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted by an online form at two points in time: the beginning and the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: We received a total of 1711 responses. Perceived stress moderately correlated with dissociation in both international and Hungarian samples. Health anxiety showed a strong direct and indirect correlation with dissociation. Regarding social support, the support of family significantly decreased the dissociative experiences in the Hungarian sample mediated by perceived and direct stress. In the international sample, goal-oriented coping strategies strongly decreased all dissociation scales in the first measurement, through the mediation of perceived stress. As for the Hungarian sample, positive thinking was found to decrease dissociation by decreasing perceived stress. Conclusion: health anxiety, coping, and social support appeared to influence dissociation directly and through the mediation of perceived stress. Social support, mainly support of the family and problem-focused coping strategies may decrease the level of stress, this way decreasing dissociative behavior.

Keywords: perceived stress; social support; health anxiety; coping; lockdown; COVID-19; international students; domestic students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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