Well‐being and sleep in stressful times of the COVID‐19 pandemic: Relations to worrying and different coping strategies

Saalwirth, Christina; Leipold, Bernhard

The present study examined the relationships between emotional well‐being (positive and negative affect), sleep‐related variables (sleep quality, sleep duration, and change in sleep quality and duration compared to weeks before lockdown), and worrying about coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) challenges during the beginning of the outbreak in Europe. In addition, four different coping strategies were investigated. The study was conducted in Germany with data from 665 participants (53.8% female; 18–73 years), who completed an online questionnaire in April 2020. The results revealed that COVID‐19 worry was associated with impaired well‐being and sleep. Meaning‐ and problem‐focused coping were the most frequently used coping strategies, and showed positive associations with well‐being and sleep. Social and avoidance coping were associated with decreased well‐being and worse sleep outcomes. Three coping strategies showed moderating effects. People who worried more showed higher levels of positive affect when they used problem‐focused coping compared to those who did not. Similarly, highly worried participants showed lower levels of negative affect when they reported using meaning‐focused coping more often. In contrast, social coping increased the risk of high negative affect levels in worried participants. In conclusion, problem‐focused and meaning‐focused coping strategies seemed to be most effective in coping with COVID‐19 challenges.