Depression as a mediator between fear of COVID-19 and death anxiety

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world deeply and an increase in psychological distress have been observed in globally. Therefore, investigation of the psychological problems associated with the COVID-19 has become an important research area. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the relationships among Fear of COVID-19 (FoC), depression, and death anxiety. Further, the study investigated the mediating role of depression in the relationship between FoC and death anxiety. The “Fear of COVID-19 scale”, “Depression Scale” and “Death Anxiety Scale” were used to collect data from 372 emerging adults aged between 18 and 25 years. The results indicated that FoC was a positive and significant predictor of both depression and death anxiety. The results further indicated that depression was a positive and significant predictor of death anxiety. Depression partially mediated the relationship between FoC and death anxiety. The findings suggested that the FoC may trigger depression and death anxiety, and therefore, preventive measures should be more emphasized. The findings have implications for mental health professionals and practitioners in counseling.