The mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between personality traits and perceived stress with health anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: This study investigated the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between personality traits and perceived stress with health anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive and cross-sectional study included the citizens of Shirvan city-Iran. A number of 386 people were selected by the convenient sampling method. Research instruments included Iowa Personality Questionnaire, The Health Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, and Multidimensional Coping Inventory. The data were analyzed using correlation, path analysis, SPSS and AMOS software. Results: The findings showed a significant relationship among traits of emotionality, perceived stress, problem-oriented coping, emotion-oriented coping, and health anxiety (P lt; 0.001). The results of path analysis showed that perceived stress and positive and negative emotionality affects health anxiety through emotion-oriented coping strategy. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the general population with high stress and negative emotionality could control their health anxiety using emotion-oriented strategies.