A stress-is-enhancing mindset is associated with lower traumatic stress symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Background

A stress-is-enhancing mindset is associated with lower perceived stress and better coping. However, work examining the prospective associations of stress mindset on perceived traumatic stress symptoms during a stressful real-world life event is limited. The present prospective study explored whether stress-is-enhancing mindset measured before the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic was associated with later traumatic stress symptoms in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Methods

University students (N = 179; 68% female; M_age = 19.31, SD = 0.79 years) completed the Stress Mindset Measure (SMM) prior to COVID-19 pandemic onset as part of a larger study. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic was completed 1 year into the pandemic.

Results

SMM negatively predicted the IES-R subscales intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal such that a more stress-is-enhancing mindset was associated with lower intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal following the onset of COVID-19.

Conclusions

Results suggest a more positive stress mindset is associated with fewer traumatic stress symptoms following a traumatic life event. Altering stress mindset may be an avenue for future interventions to cope with stress.

KEYWORDS:

• coping
• coronavirus
• posttraumatic stress
• resilience
• prospective studies
• well-being

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data and funding

The data file will be made available upon reasonable request. This work received no funding.

Notes

1 Stress mindset remained a significant predictor but the stress mindset beta weights become slightly smaller.

Additional information

Funding

This work received no funding.