Anxious Thoughts and Well-Being in University Students with Anxiety in the Two Years After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediational Relationship of Physical Symptoms and Sadness Rumination

Objective: This study examines the relationship between anxious thoughts and well-being, with physical symptoms and sadness rumination as mediators, in young people who suffer from anxiety in the first two years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A community sample of 198 participants, 94 males a...

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Main Authors: Elena Ioana Fratea, Manuela Mihaela Ciucurel, Geanina Cucu Ciuhan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1109
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author Elena Ioana Fratea
Manuela Mihaela Ciucurel
Geanina Cucu Ciuhan
author_facet Elena Ioana Fratea
Manuela Mihaela Ciucurel
Geanina Cucu Ciuhan
author_sort Elena Ioana Fratea
collection DOAJ
description Objective: This study examines the relationship between anxious thoughts and well-being, with physical symptoms and sadness rumination as mediators, in young people who suffer from anxiety in the first two years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A community sample of 198 participants, 94 males and 104 females, aged between 19 and 35 years, all of them experiencing an anxiety disorder in their past, answered an online survey during the years 2022–2023. The instruments were the Rumination of Sadness and Anger Questionnaire, The Burns Inventory, and Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale. The data analysis used hierarchical regression. Results: The results show that the conditional indirect effects of anxious thoughts on well-being are statistically significant (<i>β</i> = −0.29, <i>SE</i> = 0.08, <i>p</i> < 0.001) for high physical symptoms of anxiety (<i>β</i> = 0.25, <i>SE</i> = 0.11, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and for high sadness rumination (<i>β</i> = −0.82, <i>SE</i> = 0.04, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Physical symptoms of anxiety (<i>β</i> = 0.25, <i>SE</i> = 0.11, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and sadness rumination (<i>β</i> = 0.05, <i>SE</i> = 0.07, <i>p</i> < 0.001) have a partial serially mediating effect on the relationship between anxious thoughts and well-being (<i>β</i> = −0.74, <i>SE</i> = 0.02, <i>p</i> < 0.001).
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spelling doaj-art-d910a2e4c73c416e917cfff542fb3f252025-08-20T02:07:58ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2024-11-011411110910.3390/bs14111109Anxious Thoughts and Well-Being in University Students with Anxiety in the Two Years After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediational Relationship of Physical Symptoms and Sadness RuminationElena Ioana Fratea0Manuela Mihaela Ciucurel1Geanina Cucu Ciuhan2Department of Psychology, Communication Sciences and Social Work, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Social Sciences and Psychology, University Center Pitesti, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 110040 Pitesti, RomaniaDepartment of Psychology, Communication Sciences and Social Work, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Social Sciences and Psychology, University Center Pitesti, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 110040 Pitesti, RomaniaDepartment of Psychology, Communication Sciences and Social Work, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Social Sciences and Psychology, University Center Pitesti, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 110040 Pitesti, RomaniaObjective: This study examines the relationship between anxious thoughts and well-being, with physical symptoms and sadness rumination as mediators, in young people who suffer from anxiety in the first two years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A community sample of 198 participants, 94 males and 104 females, aged between 19 and 35 years, all of them experiencing an anxiety disorder in their past, answered an online survey during the years 2022–2023. The instruments were the Rumination of Sadness and Anger Questionnaire, The Burns Inventory, and Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale. The data analysis used hierarchical regression. Results: The results show that the conditional indirect effects of anxious thoughts on well-being are statistically significant (<i>β</i> = −0.29, <i>SE</i> = 0.08, <i>p</i> < 0.001) for high physical symptoms of anxiety (<i>β</i> = 0.25, <i>SE</i> = 0.11, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and for high sadness rumination (<i>β</i> = −0.82, <i>SE</i> = 0.04, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Physical symptoms of anxiety (<i>β</i> = 0.25, <i>SE</i> = 0.11, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and sadness rumination (<i>β</i> = 0.05, <i>SE</i> = 0.07, <i>p</i> < 0.001) have a partial serially mediating effect on the relationship between anxious thoughts and well-being (<i>β</i> = −0.74, <i>SE</i> = 0.02, <i>p</i> < 0.001).https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1109anxious thoughtsphysical symptoms of anxietyruminationwell-being
spellingShingle Elena Ioana Fratea
Manuela Mihaela Ciucurel
Geanina Cucu Ciuhan
Anxious Thoughts and Well-Being in University Students with Anxiety in the Two Years After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediational Relationship of Physical Symptoms and Sadness Rumination
Behavioral Sciences
anxious thoughts
physical symptoms of anxiety
rumination
well-being
title Anxious Thoughts and Well-Being in University Students with Anxiety in the Two Years After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediational Relationship of Physical Symptoms and Sadness Rumination
title_full Anxious Thoughts and Well-Being in University Students with Anxiety in the Two Years After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediational Relationship of Physical Symptoms and Sadness Rumination
title_fullStr Anxious Thoughts and Well-Being in University Students with Anxiety in the Two Years After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediational Relationship of Physical Symptoms and Sadness Rumination
title_full_unstemmed Anxious Thoughts and Well-Being in University Students with Anxiety in the Two Years After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediational Relationship of Physical Symptoms and Sadness Rumination
title_short Anxious Thoughts and Well-Being in University Students with Anxiety in the Two Years After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediational Relationship of Physical Symptoms and Sadness Rumination
title_sort anxious thoughts and well being in university students with anxiety in the two years after the covid 19 pandemic the mediational relationship of physical symptoms and sadness rumination
topic anxious thoughts
physical symptoms of anxiety
rumination
well-being
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1109
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