Aim: This study investigated whether gratitude and fear of COVID-19 mediated the relationship between crisis experience during the pandemic and purpose in life in men and women.
Methods: Six hundred and five participants aged between 18 and 60 years (M = 25.6; SD = 8.39) completed the Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Scale-Short Form (GRAT-S), Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Purpose in Life Test (PIL). In addition, the respondents were questioned about life crises during the previous six months (e.g., the death of a loved one or illness).
Results: Men and women differed in their endorsement of gratitude or fear of COVID-19 as a mediator. Women's experiences of the crisis related both directly and indirectly to purpose in life, with gratitude and fear of COVID-19 mediating this relationship. In men, only the indirect path, from crisis experience, through gratitude, to purpose in life, turned out to be significant.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that coping styles differ in men and women and, as a consequence, that crisis interventions need to take gender into account.
Keywords: crisis experience; fear of COVID-19; gender differences; gratitude; purpose in life.