Fear of COVID-19 as a buffer in the relationship between perceived stress and life satisfaction in the Polish population at the beginning of the global pandemic

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a significant threat to human life and health. It makes people experience fear, stress, anxiety and mood disorders, which have a negative impact on their psychological well-being. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between fear of COVID-19, perceived stress, and life satisfaction during the coronavirus pandemic. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: 907 Polish people (522 women and 385 men) participated in this study. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FOC-6) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were used in the study. RESULTS: Fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress were positively correlated with each other and both negatively related to life satisfaction. Moderation analysis showed that fear of COVID-19 acted as a buffer between perceived stress and life satisfaction - people with a high level of fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress had greater life satisfaction than those with high levels of stress but low levels of fear of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, people experience significant stress and fear of infection, which negatively affect their life satisfaction. It can be assumed that during a global pandemic, most stressors are not directly linked to the risk of infection. Loss of job, isolation, lack of social support, or a total change in lifestyle may be more threatening to the well-being than the risk of infection, which many people do not consider as dangerous. Therefore, it can be assumed that people who experience a strong fear of COVID-19 may perceive inconveniences resulting from restrictions as less oppressive than people who do not feel fear.