Alleviating the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Physical, Psychological Health, and Wellbeing of Students: Coping Behavior as a Mediator

Muhammad Younas; Yan Dong; Rashid Menhas; Xinyi Li; Yu Wang; Uzma Noor

doi:10.2147/PRBM.S441395

Alleviating the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Physical, Psychological Health, and Wellbeing of Students: Coping Behavior as a Mediator

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023 Dec 28:16:5255-5270. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S441395. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Muhammad Younas¹, Yan Dong¹, Rashid Menhas², Xinyi Li¹, Yu Wang¹, Uzma Noor³

Affiliations

¹ School of Educational Technology, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
² Research Center of Sport and Social Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
³ School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

Background: Public health procedures under the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown policy negatively affect people's health. Students' physical issues have been increased due to restrictions which further impact their psychological and overall well-being.

Objective: The research looks at the influence of coping behavior in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on students' physical/psychological health and general well-being.

Methods: The study's participants were chosen from a pool of 2200 people using convenience sampling. Using an anonymous online poll, the main data were gathered. The collected data were analyzed by using Smart-PLS.

Results: From eight direct correlations, seven were found to be true, except the route pandemic -> overall wellbeing, which was not true. Furthermore, it was shown that the mediating effect of coping behavior was statistically significant in the routes of mediation.

Conclusion: Coping strategies have a significant role in how a person responds to trying circumstances. Our study's results suggest that coping strategies had a statistically significant mediation role in reducing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is concluded that appropriate coping strategies are an effective adaptation of a protective barrier against the damaging effects of COVID-19 on health.

Keywords: coping behavior; pandemic; physical health; psychological health; students.

Grants and funding

The study is funded by the General Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. “Research on Brain Synchronization Mechanisms and Strategies of Multi-person Interaction in STEM Educational Context”, Beijing Normal University [grant number 62177011] and Funded by the International Joint Research Project of Huiyan International College, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University.