Psychological distress caused by COVID-19: can religious belief and grit help?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores how religious belief and grit are related to psychological distress caused by COVID-19 among Chinese university students. The Religious Belief Scale, the Grit Scale, and the Pandemic Psychological Distress Scale were administered to 1157 university students selected from 119 comprehensive universities. Results showed that 1) religious belief is positively associated with grit, 2) religious belief is positively associated with pandemic psychological distress, and 3) grit mediates the effect of religious belief on pandemic psychological distress. This study has practical implications for university administrators, teachers, and professional religious personnel. The present findings can also inspire interventions to ensure persistence and consistency of interest, which may work to lessen pandemic psychological distress. The limitations and contributions of this research are also discussed.