What Does Coping Mean in the Context of a Pandemic? Illustrations from Swedish Data

Abstract

Objectives: Mastery is a psychological resource, closely related to coping, enabling individuals to lead their lives in desirable ways. The aim of this study was to examine how mastery was related to impacts of the pandemic on the individuals, including whether the levels of mastery were negatively affected by the pandemic. Methods: Data on middle-aged and older individuals from the longitudinal cohort study Life conditions, Stress and Health (LSH) (N=2,523) was used. Associations were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), stratified by sex. Change in mastery was measured using mixed models. Results: Among men, mastery was associated with a negative impact of the pandemic on leisure activities (0.10, p = .006), among women mastery was associated with a decrease in physical activities (0.08, p = .05). Among men and women, mastery was protective against unhealthy dietary habits and alcohol consumption. The levels of mastery decreased from baseline. Conclusions: Mastery promoted individual health and well-being during the pandemic, but also the collective effort to combat the pandemic. However, stress and distress related to the pandemic partly eroded the levels of mastery in the population. Public health measures addressed at maintaining mastery levels during future collective crises are crucial.