Direct and indirect relationships between cognitive flexibility and COVID-19 related psychological distress: The mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (eng)

Direct and indirect relationships between cognitive flexibility and COVID-19 related psychological distress: The mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategiesBilişsel esneklik ve COVID-19 ile ilgili psikolojik sıkıntı arasındaki doğrudan ve dolaylı ilişkiler: Uyumsuz bilişsel duygu düzenleme stratejilerinin aracı rolü SUMMARY Objective: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are remarkable on individuals' mental health.During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increase in mental health problems and psychological distress in uninfected healthy people.The present study aimed to examine the mediator role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between cognitive flexibility and COVID-19 related psychological distress experienced during the current pandemic.Method: The sample consisted of 351 young adults (86% female and 14% male) who were not infected with COVID-19 aged between 18 to 25 years old.Participants completed the self-report questionnaires, including the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and COVID-19 Related Psychological Distress Scale.Mediation analysis estimated total, indirect, and direct effects between cognitive flexibility and COVID-19 related psychological distress.Results: The correlation analyses showed that cognitive flexibilitycontrol dimension was negatively associated with both COVID-19 related psychological distress and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies.Also, maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and COVID-19 related psychological distress was found to be positively correlated.In the study sample, the results of the bootstrap mediation indicated that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, including self-blame, acceptance, rumination, catastrophizing, and blaming others, fully mediated the relationship between cognitive flexibility -control and COVID-19 related psychological distress.Discussion: Our findings would help psychological interventions designed for COVID-19 uninfected healthy people who have lower-level cognitive flexibility -control dimension by highlighting the prominence that the fewer people use maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, the less they feel COVID-19 related psychological distress.