COVID-19 lockdown distress, but not the infection concerns, shape psychological functioning during the pandemic : the mediating role of basic psychological needs

Avsec, Andreja (author), Zager Kocjan, Gaja (author), Kavčič, Tina (author)

This study examined the effect of COVID-19 lockdown and infection concerns on positive and negative aspects of psychological functioning during the first weeks of the new coronavirus pandemic, and the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration. Slovene adults (N = 425; 79% female) filled in questionnaires measuring COVID-19-related stressors, satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs, well-being, and ill-being. Results of the path analysis with Bootstrap estimation procedure revealed that the perceived severity of the COVID-19 lockdown circumstances predicted diminished psychological functioning of participants both directly and via decreased needs satisfaction and increased needs frustration. Conversely, the infection concerns had a much weaker and direct only effect on the increased ill-being, but no effect on well-being. These findings indicate that lockdown circumstances, but not the possibility of COVID-19 infection, predominantly shape individuals' ability to satisfy their basic needs and subsequently their psychological functioning during the pandemic. The study suggests that public health responses sould address not only risk of infection but also people's psychological needs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: pandemics, epidemics, coronavirus, COVID-19, psychology, stress, coping behavior, psychological needs, the basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration scale BPNSFS, the perceived stress scale PSS, mental health continuum - short form MHC-SF, COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19-related stressors, basic psychological needs, psychological functioning, mediation
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 1-8
• Numbering: Vol. , iss.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-128420
• UDC: 159.9:616-036.22
• ISSN on article: 1467-9450
• DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12758
• COBISS.SI-ID: 69964547

Note

Zaradi vsebine, ki obravnava COVID-19, je članek dostopen na založnikovi spletni strani: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sjop.12758

• Publication date in RUL: 12.07.2021

AVSEC, Andreja, ZAGER KOCJAN, Gaja and KAVČIČ, Tina, 2021, COVID-19 lockdown distress, but not the infection concerns, shape psychological functioning during the pandemic : the mediating role of basic psychological needs. Scandinavian journal of psychology [online]. 2021. P. 1–8. [Accessed 18 March 2025]. DOI 10.1111/sjop.12758. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=128420

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Scandinavian journal of psychology
• Shortened title: Scand. j. psychol.
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1467-9450
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517824281

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: pandemije, epidemije, koronavirus, COVID-19, psihologija, stres, spoprijemanje, psihološke potrebe, lestvica zaznanega stresa PSS, vprašalnik duševnega zdravja - kratka oblika MHC-SF

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P5-0110
• Name: Psihološki in nevroznanstveni vidiki kognicije

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P5-0062
• Name: Uporabna razvojna psihologija