The influence of personal internal resources (IRs) on coping with traumatic events is constantly researched. This study aimed to determine how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic affected anxiety, depression, and loneliness in two groups at different levels of exposure (low and high) to the infection. We analysed the impact of IRs in the form of the level of hope and self-efficacy on mental reactions (anxiety and depression) and social well-being (loneliness). The study was conducted as an internet survey. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and difference tests were used for preliminary analyses. Structural equation models (SEM) were used for multivariate data analysis. The SEM model revealed that people working in a profession with a higher risk of infection coped better in the pandemic. We observed a higher level of IRs in the higher exposure group, and the consequences were less pronounced. We concluded by stating that the level of hope and sense of self-efficacy could moderate the response in a pandemic situation and constitute protective factors against psychopathological symptoms.
Keywords: COVID-19; Internal resources; Mental health.