Psychological Immune Competence as a Mediator Between Perceived Stress and Mood: A Pandemic Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19090/pp.v18i4.2600Keywords:
perceived stress, psychological immune competence, mood, COVID-19 pandemicAbstract
This research examined the effects of perceived stress on general mood mediated by psychological immune competence during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a sample of 581 participants from Serbia (75.7% female), an instrument set was applied comprising the Psychological Immune Competence Inventory (PICI), the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The results of the mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between perceived stress and general mood was significantly shaped by emotion control and social mobilizing capacity as aspects of psychological immune competence. These aspects had a protective role in general mood, with the perceived stress level compromising the role of emotion control but supporting the role of social mobilizing capacity. The obtained findings can aid the development of psychological interventions aimed at enhancing psychological immune competence and, consequently, improving mental health and building the capacity for more functional coping in crisis situations.
References
Agbaria, Q., & Mokh, A. A. (2022). Personal and social resources in coping with coronavirus crisis among Israeli-Palestinian adults: Explanatory study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20(3), 1595–1610. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00465-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00465-z
Aknin, L. B., De Neve, J. E., Dunn, E. W., Fancourt, D. E., Goldberg, E., Helliwell, J. F, Jones, S. P., Karam, E., Layard, R., Lyubomirsky, S., Rzepa, A., Saxena, S., Thornton, E. M., VanderWeele, T. J., Whillans, A. W., Zaki, J., Karadag, O., & Ben Amor, Y. (2022). Mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: A review and recommendations for moving forward. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(4), 915–936. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211029964 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211029964
Aldrich, D. P. (2010). Fixing recovery: Social capital in post-crisis resilience. Journal of Homeland Security, 6, 1–10. Retreived November 15, 2024 from: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/pspubs/article/1002/&path_info=Aldrich_Fixing_Recovery_Journal_of_Homeland_Security.pdf
Al-Hamdan, M. H., Alawadi, S. A., & Altamimi, R. M. (2021). Contribution of psychological immunity dimensions in predicting psychological flow during coronavirus crisis among health workers in Kuwait. Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 23(3), 34–43.https://doi.org/10.12740/APP/128792 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12740/APP/128792
Barrios, J. M., Benmelech, E., Hochberg, Y. V., Sapienza, P., & Zingales, L. (2021). Civic capital and social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Public Economics, 193, 104310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104310 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104310
Barzut, V. G., Blanuša, J. D., Knežević, J. D., & Marinković, G. Ž. (2023). The association between psychological inflexibility and mental health during the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Collections of Papers of the Faculty of Philosophy, 53(3), 361–375. https://doi.org/10.5937/zrffp53-43010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/zrffp53-43010
Batenburg, A., & Das, E. (2014). An experimental study on the effectiveness of disclosing stressful life events and support messages: When cognitive reappraisal support decreases emotional distress, and emotional support is like saying nothing at all. PLoS ONE, 9(12), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0114169 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0114169
Bodie, G. D., Burleson, B. R., Holmstrom, A. J., McCullough, J. D., Rack, J. J., Hanasono, L. K., & Rosier, J. G. (2011). Effects of cognitive complexity and emotional upset on processing supportive messages: Two tests of a dual‒process theory of supportive communication outcomes. Human Communication Research, 37, 350–376. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2011.01405.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2011.01405.x
Bonanno, G. A. (2004). Loss, Trauma, and Human Resilience: Have We Underestimated the Human Capacity to Thrive After Extremely Aversive Events? American Psychologist, 59(1), 20–28. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.59.1.20 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.59.1.20
Brunoni, A. R., Suen, P. J. C., Bacchi, P. S., Razza, L. B. , Klein, I., Dos Santos, L. A., de Souza Santos, I., da Costa Lane Valiengo, L., Gallucci-Neto, J., Moreno, M. L., Pinto, B. S., de Cássia Silva Félix, L., de Sousa, J. P., Viana, M. C., Forte, P. M., de Altisent Oliveira Cardoso, M. C., Bittencourt, M. S., Pelosof, R., ... Benseñor, I. M. (2021) Prevalence and risk factors of psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from the ELSA-Brasil COVID-19 mental health cohort. Psychological Medicine, 21, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721001719 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721001719
Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Segerstrom, S. C. (2010). Optimism. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 879–889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006
Cohen, S, Kamarck, T. W., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404
Cohen, S., & Williamson, G. (1988). Perceived stress in a probability sample of the United States. In S. Spacapan & S. Oskamp (Eds.), The social psychology of health (pp. 31–68). Sage. Retreived November 16, 2024 from: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/psychology/stress-immunity-disease-lab/scales/pdf/cohen,-s.--williamson,-g.-1988.pdf
Courtet, P., Olié E., Debien, C., & Vaiva G. (2020). Keep socially (but not physically) connected and carry on: Preventing suicide in the age of COVID-19. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 81(3), 20com13370. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.20com13370 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.20com13370
Cummins, R. A., & Wooden, M. (2014). Personal resilience in times of crisis: The implications of SWB homeostasis and set-points. Journal of Happiness Studies: An Interdisciplinary Forum on Subjective Well-Being, 15(1), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9481-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9481-4
Daly, M., & Robinson, E. (2021). Psychological distress and adaptation to the COVID-19 crisis in the United States. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 136, 603–609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.035 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.035
Daly, M., Sutin, A. R., & Robinson, E. (2020). Longitudinal changes in mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Psychological Medicine, 52, 2549–2558. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720004432 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720004432
Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55(1), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.34 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.34
Diener, E., & Oishi, S. (2005). The nonobvious social psychology of happiness. Psychological Inquiry, 16(4), 162–167. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1604_04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1604_04
Diener, E., Lucas, R. E., & Scollon, C. (2006). Beyond the hedonic treadmill: Revising the adaptation theory of well-being. American Psychologist, 61(4), 305–314. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.4.305 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.4.305
Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.125.2.276
Ding, W., Levine, R., Lin, C., & Xie, W. (2020). Social distancing and social capital: Why US counties respond differently to COVID-19 (No. w27393). National Bureau of Economic Research. Retreived November 30, 2024 from: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w27393/w27393.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w27393
Ebert, A. R., Bernstein, L. E., Carney, A. K., & Patrick, J. H. (2020). Emotional well-being during the first four months of COVID-19 in the United States. Journal of Adult Development, 27(4), 241–248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-020-09365-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-020-09365-x
Fancourt, D., Steptoe, A., & Bu, F. (2020). Trajectories of anxiety and depressive symptoms during enforced isolation due to COVID-19 in England: A longitudinal observational study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(2), 141–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30482-X DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30482-X
Genc, A. (2021). Teorijske konceptualizacije stresa [Theoretical Conceptualizations of Stress]. Filozofski fakultet, Novi Sad.
Gombor, A. (2009). Burnout in Hungarian and Swedish emergency nurses: Demographic variables, work related factors, social support, personality, and life satisfaction as determinants of burnout [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Eötvös Lorand.
Hagen, D., Lai, A. Y., & Goldmann, E. (2022). Trends in negative emotions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Public Health, 212, 4–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2022.08.009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2022.08.009
Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Publications.
Helliwell, J. F., Huang, H., Wang, S., & Norton, M. (2021).World Happiness, Trust and Deaths under COVID-19. In: J. Helliwell, R. Layard, J. D. Sachs, J.-E. De Neve, L. Aknin, S. Wang, & S. Paculor (Eds.), World Happiness Report 2021 (pp. 13–56). Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Hobfoll, S. E., Palmieri, P. A., Johnson, R. J., Canetti-Nisim, D., Hall, B. J., & Galea, S. (2009). Trajectories of resilience, resistance, and distress during ongoing terrorism: The case of Jews and Arabs in Israel. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77(1), 138–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014360 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014360
Hullám, I., Györffy, Á., Végh, J., & Fűrész, J. (2006). Psychological study of burdening effects of military activities in survival camp circumstances. Medicine, 5, 615–43. https://doi.org/10.7205/milmed-d-11-00149 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-11-00149
Hurlbert, J. S., Haines, V. A., & Beggs, J. J. (2000). Core Networks and Tie Activation: What Kinds of Routine Networks Allocate Resources in Nonroutine Situations? American Sociological Review, 65(4), 598. https://doi.org/10.2307/2657385 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2657385
Jaiswal, A., Singh, T., & Arya, Y. K. (2020). "Psychological antibodies" to safeguard frontline healthcare warriors mental health against COVID-19 pandemic-related psychopathology. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 18(11), 590160. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.590160 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.590160
Joie-La Marle, C., Parmentier, F., Vinchon, F., Storme, M., Borteyrou, X., & Lubart, T. (2021). Evolution and impact of self-efficacy during French COVID-19 confinement: A longitudinal study. The Journal General Psychology, 148(3), 360–381. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221309.2021.1904815 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221309.2021.1904815
Kaur, T., & Som, R. R. (2020). The predictive role of resilience in psychological immunity: A theoretical review. International Journal of Current Research and Review, 12(22), 139–143. https://doi.org/10.31782/IJCRR.2020.122231 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31782/IJCRR.2020.122231
Knudsen, A. K. S., Stene-Larsen, K., Gustavson, K., Hotopf, M., Kessler, R. C., Krokstad, S., Skogen, J. C., Øverland, S., & Reneflot, A. (2021). Prevalence of mental disorders, suicidal ideation and suicides in the general population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway: A population-based repeated cross-sectional analysis. The Lancet Regional Health Europe, 4, 100071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100071 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100071
Kuhn, U., & Brulé, G. (2019). Buffering effects for negative life events: The role of material, social, religious and personal resources. Journal of Happiness Studies: An Interdisciplinary Forum on Subjective Well-Being, 20(5), 1397–1417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9995-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9995-x
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (2004). Stres, procena i suočavanje. Naklada Slap.
Marić N. P., Lazarević, L. B., Mihić, Lj., Pejović Milovanović, M., Terzić, Z., Tošković, O., Todorović, J., Vuković, O., & Knežević, G. (2021). Mental health in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic: Protocol for a nationally representative multilevel survey in Serbia. BMJ Open, 11, e053835. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053835 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053835
Marić, N. P., Lazarević, L. B., Priebe, S., Mihić, Lj., Pejović Milovancević, M., Terzić, Z., Tošković, O., Vuković, O., Todorović, J., & Knežević, G. (2022). Covid-19-related stressors, mental disorders, depressive and anxiety symptoms: A cross-sectional, nationally-representative, face-to-face survey in Serbia. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 31, e36. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796022000117 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796022000117
Mayer, J. D., & Gaschke, Y. N. (1988). The experience and meta-experience of mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55(1), 102–111. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.55.1.102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.55.1.102
McGinty, E. E., Presskreischer, R., Han, H., & Barry, C. L. (2020). Psychological distress and loneliness reported by US adults in 2018 and April 2020. JAMA, 324(1), 93–94. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.9740 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.9740
Móró, L., Simon, K., Bárd, I., & Rácz, J. (2011). Voice of the psychonauts: Coping, life purpose, and spirituality in psychedelic drug users. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 43(3), 188–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2011.605661 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2011.605661
Nagy, E., & Nagy, B. E. (2016). Coping with infertility: Comparison of coping mechanisms and psychological immune competence in fertile and infertile couples. Journal of Health Psychology, 21(8), 1799–1808. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314567206 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314567206
Oláh, A. (2005). Érzelmek, megküzdés és optimális élmény – belső világunk megismerésének módszerei [Emotions, coping and optimal experience – ways to get to know our inner world]. Trefort Kiadó.
Oláh, A., Nagy, H., & Tóth, K. G. (2010). Life expectancy and psychological immune competence in different cultures. Empirical Text and Culture Research, 4, 102–108.
Park, C. L., Finkelstein-Fox, L., Russell, B. S., Fendrich, M., Hutchison, M., & Becker, J. (2021). Americans’ distress early in the COVID-19 pandemic: Protective resources and coping strategies. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 13(4), 422–431. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000931 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000931
Prati, G., & Mancini, A. D. (2021). The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns: A review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and natural experiments. Psychological Medicine, 51(2), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721000015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721000015
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster. https://doi.org/10.1145/358916.361990 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/358916.361990
Richter, F. (2020). The video apps we’re downloading amid the coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved December 2, 2024 https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/03/infographic-apps-pandemic-technology-data-coronavirus-covid19-tech/
Sadiković, S., Branovački, B., Oljača, M., Mitrović, D., Pajić, D, & Smederevac, S. (2020). Daily monitoring of emotional responses to the coronavirus pandemic in Serbia: A citizen science approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2133. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02133 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02133
Schelhorn, I., Schlüter, S., Paintner, K., Shiban, Y., Lugo, R., Meyer, M., & Sütterlin, S. (2022). Emotions and emotion up-regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. PLoS One, 17(1), e0262283. https://doi.org//10.1371/journal.pone.0262283 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262283
Shapan, N. L., & Ahmed, A. F. (2020). The rationing of Psychological Immunity Scale on a sample of visually impaired adolescents. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, 8(3), 345–356. https://doi.org//10.31686/ijier.vol8.iss3.2236 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol8.iss3.2236
Snyder, C. R., & Mann Pulvers, K. (2001). Dr. Seuss, the Coping Machine, and “Oh, the Places You'll Go”. In: Snyder, C. R. (Ed.) Coping with Stress: Effective People and Processes (pp. 3–29). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780195130447.003.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780195130447.003.0001
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. (2021). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Pearson.
Taha, S., Matheson, K., Cronin, T., & Anisman, H. (2014). Intolerance of uncertainty, appraisals, coping, and anxiety: the case of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. British Journal of Health Psychology, 19(3), 592–605. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/bjhp.12058 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12058
Takács, R., Takács, Sz., Kárász, J. T., Horváth, Z., & Oláh, A. (2021). Exploring coping strategies of different generations of students starting university. Frontiers in Psychology, 30(12), 740569. https://doi.org//10.3389/fpsyg.2021.740569 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.740569
Thompson, S. C. (2005). The Role of Personal Control in Adaptive Functioning. In: Snyder, C. R., & Lopez, S. J. (Eds.) Handbook of Positive Psychology (pp. 271–278). Oxford University Press.
Tull, M. T., Edmonds, K. A., Scamaldo, K. M., Richmond, J. R., Rose, J. P., & Gratz, K. L. (2020). Psychological outcomes associated with stay-at-home orders and the perceived impact of COVID-19 on daily life. Psychiatric Research, 289, 113098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113098 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113098
van der Velden, P. G., Contino, C., Das ,M., van Loon, P., & Bosmans, M. W. G. (2020). Anxiety and depression symptoms, and lack of emotional support among the general population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A prospective national study on prevalence and risk factors. Journal of Affective Disorders, 277, 540–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.026
Voitkáné, S. (2004). Goal directedness in relation to life satisfaction, psychological immune system and depression in first-semester university students in Latvia. Baltic Journal of Psychology, 5, 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1037/e629932012-003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/e629932012-003
Winkler, P., Mohrova, Z., Mlada, K., Kuklova, M., Kagstrom, A., Mohr, P., & Formanek, T. (2021). Prevalence of current mental disorders before and during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of repeated nationwide cross-sectional surveys. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 139, 167–171. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.032 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.032
Zacher, H. & Rudolph, C. V. (2021). Individual differences and changes in subjective wellbeing during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. American Psychologist, 76(1), 50–62. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000702 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000702
Zacher, H., & Rudolph, C. W. (2024). Subjective wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A three-year, 35-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(3), 442–456. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2224757 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2224757
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Genc, Jasmina Pekić, Ilija Milovanović
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
