PhD Scientific Days 2025

Mental Health Sciences I.

Impact of the Unforeseen - Changes of Coping, Meaning in Life and Fear of Death Associations after Covid-19 and during the Ukraine War Crisis

Name of the presenter

Szimon Petra

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary/ Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Institute of Psychology, Budapest

Authors

Petra Szimon¹, Ágnes Zana²

1: Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary/ Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Institute of Psychology, Budapest
2: Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

Text of the abstract

Introduction: The effect of Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis are unprecedented global stressors with multiple mental health impacts.
Aim: The focus of current research was to explore how levels and associations regarding meaning in life, coping competences and fear of death were effected by the pandemia and war crisis.
Method: A repeated cross-sectional study was performed in the Hungarian population pre-Covid-19 (N=249) and after the second wave of Covid-19 (N=265) and the Ukraine crisis outbreak (N=148). The associations were assessed with the Meaning of Life (MLQ), the Psychological Immune System Inventory (PISI) and the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale (MFODS).
Results: Fear of Death (FOD) increased post-Covid (PreCo), whereas after the breakout of the war (PostCoPostWB) it decreased to pre-Covid level (FOD PreCo=114; PostCoPreW: 118; PostCoPostWB: 114). The deterioration of the coping system (PISI PreCo=241; PostCoPreW: 230; PostCoPostWB: 231) and the increased role of synchronicity in connection with FOD, fear of Death Process and Premature Death (MFODS/Process/Premature - MLQ-S r PreCo= -0.26/-0.57/-0.3 p‹0.001; PostCoPreW: -0.31/-0.32/-0.23 p‹0.001; PostCoPostWB: -0.32/-0.34/-0.4 p‹0.001) and search for meaning (MFODS MLQ-S r PreCo= 0.2 p=0.01; PostCoPreW: 0.1 p=0.03; PostCoPostWB: 0.3 p‹0.001) were the main signaling factors of the unforeseen stressors. Stronger relations between coping and meaning in life were found (PISI – MLQ r PreCo= 0.33 p‹0.001; PostCoPreW: 0.37 p‹0.001; PostCoPostWB: 0.44 p‹0.001) and strengthened relation between presence- and search for meaning (MLQ-P – MLQ-S r PreCo= 0.16 p=0.01; PostCoPreW: 0.13 p=0.02; PostCoPostWB: 0.4 p‹0.001) emerge as a protecting component between fear of death and coping after the Ukraine crisis outbreak.
Conclusion: The results reflect previous outcomes that the Covid-19 pandemic has as a salient determinant role in mental health. The explored relations regarding the war effect call for attention to distal defence mechanism tendencies. The information contributes to refining health-care interventions accordingly on multiple levels and cross-culturally and in preparation for current and future challenges to avoid mentally – and socially unfavourable effects.
Funding: No funding was required.