Coping with COVID-19 Prolonged and Cumulative Stressors: the Case Example of Egypt

Ibrahim A Kira; Hanaa A M Shuwiekh; Shereen Abd Elwahab Ahmed; Eman Ezzat Ebada; Shireen Farouk Tantawy; Nevein Nirouz Waheep; Jeffrey S Ashby

doi:10.1007/s11469-021-00712-x

Coping with COVID-19 Prolonged and Cumulative Stressors: the Case Example of Egypt

Int J Ment Health Addict. 2022 Jan 8:1-22. doi: 10.1007/s11469-021-00712-x. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ibrahim A Kira^{1

2}, Hanaa A M Shuwiekh³, Shereen Abd Elwahab Ahmed³, Eman Ezzat Ebada³, Shireen Farouk Tantawy³, Nevein Nirouz Waheep³, Jeffrey S Ashby⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for Cumulative Trauma Studies, 4906 Woodhurst Way, Stone Mountain, GA 30088 USA.
² Affiliate of Center for Stress, Trauma and Resiliency, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA USA.
³ Fayoum University, Faiyum, Egypt.
⁴ Stress, Trauma and Resiliency, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA USA.

Abstract

The current study aimed to explore how COVID-19-traumatized populations cope using a coping model based on wills to exist, live, and survive (WTELS) that leads to positive coping and posttraumatic growth (PTG). We used data from 11 Arab countries (N = 2732), including Egypt (N = 831), and included measures for COVID-19 stressors (COVID-fear, economic, lockdown, and grief stressors), WTELS, resilience, religiosity, spirituality, social support, and PTG. We conducted ANOVA on the main sample to explore the differences between Arab countries, hierarchical regressions, and path analysis on the Egyptian subsample to test a model of the effects on WTELS. In the path model, WTELS was the independent variable. Other coping strategies were mediating variables, and COVID-19 stressor types were outcome variables. ANOVA on the main sample indicated that Egypt was the highest on COVID-19 stressors (infection fears, economic, lockdown, and grief stressors), actual infection, and WTELS. Hierarchical regression indicated that social support, resilience, and WTELS were positive predictors of PTG, with WTELS had the highest effect size (β = .41) and WTELS being a negative predictor of COVID-19 stressors, while resilience and social support were not. Path analysis indicated that WTELS predicted higher religiosity, spirituality, social support, resilience, and lower COVID-19 stressors. Religiosity predicted higher spirituality, social support, and resilience and lower COVID-19 stressors. Interfaith spirituality predicted higher resilience and lower COVID-19 grief stressors. The results validated the central role of WTELS. Results helped to identify potentially effective interventions with COVID-19 victims that focus on WTELS, spirituality, and religiosity.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11469-021-00712-x.

Keywords: COVID-19 stressors; PTG; Religiosity; Resilience; Wills to exist, live, and survive.