The Relationship Between Social Support and Uncertainty of COVID-19: The Mediating Roles of Resilience and Academic Self-Efficacy*

Abstract

This study examined the mediating effect of resilience and academic self-efficacy (psychological resources) in the relationship between social support and uncertainty of COVID-19. We recruited 607 Turkish undergraduate students (68% females) with a mean age of 21.71 years (SD=3.18). Results showed that perceived social support positively predicted resilience and academic self-efficacy, while social support, resilience, and academic self-efficacy negatively predicted uncertainty of COVID-19. Findings highlight the significance of investing in social support resources for orchestrating gains in psychological resources, which may then support one another to act collectively to assuage the uncertainty of COVID-19. Theoretical contribution and practical implications of the results as well as study limitations and future research are discussed in the paper.