The available literature demonstrates that COVID-19 fear (CV-19 F) may increase depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, few studies have explored the underlying mechanisms of this relationship. This study aimed to understand the role of anxiety and sleep quality in the association between CV-19 F and depression in Vietnamese adolescents. A sample of 685 adolescents, ages 15 to 19 (mean = 16.09, SD = 0.860), was recruited to participate in the study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale were completed by participants. Results indicated that the link between CV-19 F and depression was fully mediated by anxiety. Furthermore, this indirect relationship was moderated by sleep quality. Our findings provided new insights into the link between CV-19 F and depression as well as highlighted the potential value of reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality in the prevention of depression in adolescents with high levels of CV-19 F.
Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19 fear; Depression; Moderated mediation model; Sleep quality.
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