Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Behavioral Sciences 2322-1194 14 4 2021 02 01 Mediating Effect of Coping Strategies between Personality and Anxiety during COVID-19 225 231 121629 10.30491/ijbs.2020.251722.1392 EN George Felix Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India 0000-0002-2228-269X Journal Article 2020 12 21 Abstract<br /> <br /> <strong>Introduction:</strong> Several studies have highlighted the psychological consequences (anxiety, depression) of COVID-19 in India. However, the effect of personality on anxiety, mediated by coping, remains scarce.<br /> <strong>Method:</strong> For carrying out this study, 215 healthy, unmarried, educated Indian adults participated in an online form-based study comprising measures of personality (The Big Five Inventory-2-S), coping (Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations-21), and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-6).<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> Analyses were done after controlling gender, age, work, and family status. Negative-emotionality and emotion-oriented coping were the highest predictors of anxiety. A contradictory finding showed conscientiousness to predict and increase anxiety upon using coping strategies. Emotion-oriented coping mediated the relationship between negative-emotionality and anxiety. Open-mindedness had an insignificant total effect on anxiety but reduced it when mediated by emotion-oriented coping. Additionally, higher anxiety was reported in those who watched one hour or more of pandemic news per day.<br /> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Emotion-oriented coping was found to be an ineffective strategy to alleviate anxiety in those with higher trait neuroticism. The flexibility provided by trait openness facilitated effective use of emotion-oriented coping in reducing anxiety.<br />  <br />   https://www.behavsci.ir/article_121629_dd1e93400ab5c768b59968788f376d66.pdf