The Mediating Role of Psychological Hardiness in the Relationship between Attachment Style and Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

Aim and Background: The present study was aimed to investigating the mediating role of psychological hardiness in the relationship between attachment style and psychological distress during the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. Methods and Materials: The design of the current study was descriptive-correlational with path analysis. The statistical population of the study was all students of public universities in Tehran, who themselves or their first-degree family members had at least one history of contracting the Covid-19 virus between the months of March to November 2021, from which 384 persons were selected by available sampling and asked to fill the Lang and Goulet Hardiness Scale (LGHS), Collins and Read Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS-42) questionnaires online. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation and path analysis and SPSS and AMOS software. Findings: The results showed that in this model, attachment style has a direct and significant effect on psychological hardiness, attachment style and psychological hardiness have a direct and significant effect on psychological distress, and also the mediating role of psychological hardiness between attachment style and psychological distress was significant. Conclusions: During the Covid-19s outbreak, attachment style and psychological hardiness have a direct effect on psychological distress, and psychological hardiness has the mediator role in the relationship between attachment style and psychological distress.

Keywords

• covid-19
• attachment style
• psychological hardiness
• psychological distress.