Twelfth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Steaming from socio-ecological psychology and from the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the present study proposed a holistic configural perspective on the association between psychological distress with a constellation of factors, during COVID-19 outbreak in Israel. Using an online survey, 991 adult participants were recruited, and filled out Psychological distress scale, as well as Locus of Control, Resilience, Self-reported loneliness, Perceived Social Support and Citizen trust in government organizations questionnaires. In addition, respondents’ demographic characteristics were examined. Women, non-religious people, and unemployed reported higher levels of psychological distress. No association was detected between respondents age and their psychological distress. Internal locus of control, resilience, social support, and trust in government organizations were negatively associated with psychological distress. Self-reported loneliness positively predicted the level of respondents’ psychological distress. An overall view of the research findings indicates that individuals with greater (fewer) resources are less (more) likely to suffer from psychological distress during COVID-19 outbreak. It is not a single resource or a specific stress which causes psychological distress, rather it is the interplay between the wider social habitats and the human mind, behavior and resources which causes psychological distress.