Investigating the Structural Relationships of Covid-19 Disease Anxiety Based on Cognitive Flexibility with the Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support in Students

Abstract

Background & objectives: Covid's anxiety is a threat to students' mental health and it is important to identify the psychological factors that affect it .The aim of the present study was to investigate the structural relationships of Covid-19 anxiety disorder based on cognitive flexibility with the mediating role of perceived social support in students. Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, based on Kameri and Lee rule, 322 students of Islamic Azad University of Tehran Markaz were selected online through cluster random sampling. Coronavirus Anxiety Inventory, Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire and Perceived Social Support Questionnaire were used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling by SPSS27 and AMOS24 statistical software. Results: The general model of the research was consistent with the experimental data (RMSEA=0.056). There was a negative and significant relationship between cognitive flexibility (p=0.001, β= -0.262) and social support (p=0.001, -0.516) with Covid-19 anxiety. Using the bootstrap method, the mediating role of social support between cognitive flexibility and covid-19 disease anxiety was confirmed (p=0.008, -0.338). Conclusion: Given the inverse relationship between the level of anxiety caused by the Covid-19 epidemic and cognitive flexibility and confirmation of the mediating role of social support in students, it seems necessary to improve psychological flexibility and supportive measures by the family and others during coronavirus epidemic.

Keywords

• anxiety
• covid-19
• cognitive inflexibility
• social support