Coping strategies, perceived threat and sources of social support in adults during COVID-19 pandemic

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Published: Feb 5, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.28912
Keywords:
Covid-19 pandemic coping strategies denial perceived threat positive reframing self-distraction social support
Alexandros Stamatios Antoniou
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6225-6085
Esther Greenglass
York University
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9860-9639
Meletios Athanasios Dimopoulos
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8990-3254
George Chrousos
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3098-5264
Charalabos Papageorgiou
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7635-1956
Yannis Tountas
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2439-8087
Abstract

This study examines the coping strategies, perceived threat and the sources of social support reported by adults after the COVID-19 restriction measures in Greece. It is the Greek contribution to an international study that is conducted in a number of European countries and USA, Canada, China, Israel etc. The sample of the Greek study consisted of 2.137 (1.617 men and 518 women) adults (almost 65% was between 18 and 40 years old). The participants completed questionnaires on psychosomatic health and behaviour. In this paper the results regarding the coping strategies were presented using the scale of Carver (1997), as well as the following scales: Social Support (Caplan et al., 1980), Avoidance/Positive Behaviors (Greenglass, 2019) and Coronavirus Threat Scale (Marjanovic et al., 2013). Initial results showed that a large percentage of the sample reported coping strategies that led to emotion regulation and problem solving. Emotion regulation and avoidance behaviours were statistically significant predictors of perceived theat. Moreover, analysis showed statistically significant gender differences in these three coping strategies, with men reporting more frequent use of those. It was also found that participants with lower education reported the denial strategymore frequently. Implications of the results in view of the recent models of coping strategies in times of crisisare discussed.

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