Confinement Situation of the Spanish Population during the Health Crisis of COVID-19: Resilience Mediation Process in the Relationship of Dispositional Optimism and Psychological Well-Being.

Antonio Zayas,Ana Merchán-Clavellino,Rocío Guil,José Antonio López-Sánchez

doi:10.3390/ijerph18126190

Antonio Zayas, Ana Merchán-Clavellino + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126190

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Abstract

The pandemic generated by COVID-19 is one of the most complex challenges humanity has faced in recent years. This study aims to explore the levels of dispositional optimism, resilience and psychological well-being in the sociodemographic and economic situation produced during the state of alarm and to investigate the resilience mediation between optimism and psychological well-being. The sample included 566 volunteers from Spain (73.5% women; M = 40.2 years, SD = 12.8). An ad hoc questionnaire was applied to request socioeconomic data and dispositional optimism (LOT-R). Resilience and psychological well-being were, respectively, evaluated by the Ryff scale and the Wagnild and Young scale. The results show that older and people with higher educational levels are more optimistic and have better psychological well-being. Well-being is also greater in married, divorced and widowed people and in those who have lived in outdoor spaces. However, those with spaced housing were more optimistic. Finally, it was found that the most optimistic people have better psychological well-being and that this is increased by the mediation process exercised by the ability to overcome adversity, provided age and educational level are controlled. It can be concluded that the design of preventive programs focused on improving strengths, positive emotions and skills in the population would be convenient to protect mental health.

Highlights

The pandemic generated by SARS-CoV-2 and the associated disease, COVID-19, is one of the most complex challenges that humanity has faced in recent years
To begin with the analysis of the first objective, we found that younger people had more psychological consequences, in terms of lower levels of optimism, resilience, and psychological well-being, which reveals that age acts as a protective factor in the sociosanitary crisis caused by the pandemic, in the sense that this crisis apparently had a minor psychological impact on older people
We found that people having outdoor spaces reported higher levels of psychological well-being, and having more square meters in homes seems to be associated with better levels of dispositional optimism

Summary

Introduction

The pandemic generated by SARS-CoV-2 and the associated disease, COVID-19, is one of the most complex challenges that humanity has faced in recent years. The beginnings of this pandemic date back to December 2019, where several cases of viral pneumonia were detected in China (Wuhan) [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) [1] pointed out the origin of the disease in a new coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but it was not until 30 January 2020, when the WHO [1]. February 2020, this new disease was named “COVID-19,” and on 11 March, it was declared a global pandemic, affecting more than 100 countries.

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