Abstract
Objective: The present study aims to explore the mediation role of self-regulation on health-related behaviors adoption or maintenance, mental health, and well-being during the COVID-19 confinement in a sample of adults in Portugal.Design: One-hundred fifty individuals (118 females, 32 males; Mage = 33.57 year; SD = 12.71) filled an online survey to assess self-regulation, healthy behaviors, mental health, and well-being perception, during the early months of the pandemic (June–August, 2020).Main Outcome Measures: Self-regulation capacity, adoption or maintenance of healthy habits, mental health, including stress management, and the perception of one’s well-being were evaluated using a structural equation model (SEM).Results: Self-regulation had direct effects on healthy habits and mental health and indirect effects on well-being and mental health mediated by healthy habits. In specific, a positive direct effect on healthy habits (β = 0.497, p < 0.001) and a negative direct effect on mental health (β = −0.428, p < 0.001); and a positive indirect effect on well-being perception, mediated by healthy behaviors and mental health (β = 0.253, p = 0.003), and a negative indirect effect on mental health, mediated by healthy habits (β = −0.208, p = 0.003). Additionally, healthy habits exerted direct effects on well-being perception and mental health. A positive direct effect on well-being perception (β = 0.254, p = 0.012), and a negative direct effect on mental health (β = −0.418, p < 0.001) were further observed. No direct effect of mental health was observed in well-being perception (β = −0.199, p = 0.068). Finally, a negative correlation was observed between self-regulation and weeks of confinement (r = −0.208, p = 0.021).Conclusion: Self-regulation seems to be a good indicator of adopting a healthy lifestyle and better mental health and well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future preventive actions and interventions to build long-term global preparedness for future health emergencies, such as COVID-19, should explore the importance of self-regulation as an important individual and collective protective factor.
Highlights
The world has faced pandemics in the past, the Spanish flu or the HIV pandemic, efforts to build long-term global preparedness for health emergencies seem to have been insufficient, considering the negative impact of the SARS-CoV-2 worldwide (WHO, 2021)
Data was obtained as part of an ongoing longitudinal study investigating the impact of self-regulation in healthy habits, mental health, and well-being perception during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
Self-regulation had direct effects on healthy habits and mental health and indirect effects on well-being and mental health mediated by healthy habits
Summary
The world has faced pandemics in the past, the Spanish flu or the HIV pandemic, efforts to build long-term global preparedness for health emergencies seem to have been insufficient, considering the negative impact of the SARS-CoV-2 worldwide (WHO, 2021). To address the growing burden of COVID-19, governments and public health institutions in almost every continent adopted prophylactic measures, such as physical distancing and lockdown (e.g., Islam et al, 2020). While following these recommendations was and still is imperative to stop disease progression and for protecting lives, they appear to have lead to profound changes in people’s lifestyle, mental health and well-being (Hossain et al, 2020; Rawat et al, 2021). Stressful life events, undoubtedly lead to psychological problems and hampers the quality of life (Hassanzadeh et al, 2017; Tibubos et al, 2020)
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