AUTHOR=Mojtahedi Dara , Dagnall Neil , Denovan Andrew , Clough Peter , Hull Sophie , Canning Derry , Lilley Caroline , Papageorgiou Kostas A. TITLE=The Relationship Between Mental Toughness, Job Loss, and Mental Health Issues During the COVID-19 Pandemic JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.607246 DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2020.607246 ISSN=1664-0640 ABSTRACT=

Concerns toward public well-being and mental health are increasing considering the COVID-19 pandemic's global societal and individual impact. The present study builds on the current body of COVID-19 literature by examining the role of mental toughness (MT) in predicting negative affective states (depression, anxiety and stress) during the pandemic. The study also examined the effects of changes in employment on mental health and MT. Participants (N = 723) completed a battery of questionnaires including the Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48-item, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 items. Participants reported relatively higher levels of depression, stress and anxiety in comparison to pre-COVID-19 samples from previous research, with respondents who had lost their jobs during the pandemic reporting higher levels of negative affective states. Despite this, mentally tough individuals appeared to report lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Moreover, moderation analyses identified some interaction between MT and employment status when predicting depression, anxiety and stress. Our findings suggest that MT may have some utility in reducing the adverse mental health effects of the pandemic on individuals, however, further longitudinal research is needed to support these implications.