How Do People Cope During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Stay Well? A Salutogenic Longitudinal Study in Israel.

Adi Mana,Shifra Sagy,Sharon Benheim,Yossi Mana,Or Catz,Moran Neuman

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.729543

Abstract

Employing the salutogenic approach, this longitudinal study explored the effects of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, as it evolved from an acute to a chronic stress situation, during the first year. We examined the role of individual [sense of coherence (SOC)], social (perceived social support), and national [sense of national coherence (SONC)] coping resources, as well as situational and demographic factors, in predicting mental health and anxiety. Data was collected in five phases between March 2020 and February 2021 via a repeated panel sample and included 198 Jewish Israelis (52% males) age 18–64 (M = 43.5). The results confirmed the expected pattern of moving from acute to chronic stressful situation: levels of general anxiety were higher in the first phase of the pandemic outbreak as compared to the other phases. Levels of social and national coping resources significantly decreased over time. However, as expected, the salutogenic resource of the individual sense of coherence remained stable and was also found as the main predictor of both anxiety and mental health in the 5 phases of the study. Beyond the explanatory factor of SOC, mental health was better explained by the social and national coping resources, while anxiety was explained by situational factors (level of financial risk and gender). The discussion delineates the longitudinal effects of individual, social, and national coping resources on mental health and anxiety during the dynamic process of the long period of 1 year of the pandemic, evolving from acute to chronic phases of the complicated health, economic, social, and political crisis

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic evolved from an acute and sudden stressful crisis among populations all around the world into a long period of struggling with the virus in daily life and with its consequences
Since the COVID-19 global pandemic has become an international crisis in which each nation led its own way Žižek (2020), the current study explored the role of sense of national coherence (SONC) as another core coping resource
Mental health was significantly correlated with the three coping resources (SOC, perceived social support, and SONC), for each phase

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic evolved from an acute and sudden stressful crisis among populations all around the world into a long period of struggling with the virus in daily life and with its consequences. Our study aims to explore the longitudinal effects of the pandemic on mental health and anxiety levels among the population in Israel during the first year of the pandemic, employing the salutogenic theoretical approach (Antonovsky, 1979). This approach is mainly focused on the question “Why, when people are exposed to the same stress which causes some to become ill, do some remain healthy?” This approach is mainly focused on the question “Why, when people are exposed to the same stress which causes some to become ill, do some remain healthy?” (Antonovsky, 1979, p. 56) and suggested using a different perspective than the pathogenic one by focusing on individual and collective resources and positive outcomes of challenge and crisis

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