Relationship of Cognitive Control and Flexibility with Anxiety among Nursing Students in the Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Evaluating nursing students' cognitive control and flexibility levels during the COVID-19 pandemic may be the first step in increasing their ability to cope with the pandemic and reducing their anxiety. The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationships between cognitive control and flexibility and anxiety in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing students. The study was conducted with 275 nursing students. Data were collected using an information form, the Cognitive Control and Flexibility Questionnaire (CCFQ) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7). According to the results of the research, the participants mean Cognitive Control and Flexibility Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scores were found as 84.40±14.81, 7.86±4.66, respectively. There was a negative significant relationship between the mean CCFQ, and GAD-7 scores. The male had significantly higher the cognitive control over emotion sub-dimension of the CCFQ scores, while female had significantly higher the GAD-7 Scale. In the study, it was concluded that there was a negative significant relationship between the cognitive control and flexibility levels of the students and their generalized anxiety levels. It can be suggested that interventions to increase the cognitive control and flexibility levels of nursing students and nurses to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.