The predictors of COVID-19 anxiety and helping behaviour during the pandemic: An investigation within the framework of individual and national level resources

Abstract

Governments have developed different policies against the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, individuals' political trust, as well as their coping styles, seems to play a role in society's reactions to this process. This study aims to examine the determinants of both the COVID-19 anxiety and the helping behavior during the pandemic within the framework of political trust and coping styles. The sample consists of 529 participants (340 females 189 males) from different cities in Turkey between the ages of 18-68. Coping Style Scale, Political Trust Inventory, Flourishing Scale and questionnaires measuring helping behaviour, perceived risk and COVID-19-related anxiety were used for data collection. The results showed that self-confident coping style and competence evaluations towards politicians predicted COVID-19 anxiety through perceived risk, while various coping styles and positive expectations towards politicians predicted helping behaviour through psychological well-being. This research contributes to literature by revealing the importance of individual and national level resources coping with COVID-19 crisis.