Perceived risk and parental coronavirus anxiety in healthcare workers: a moderated mediation role of coronavirus fear and mental well-being

This study aimed to examine the associations between perceived coronavirus risk, coronavirus fear, mental well-being and parental coronavirus anxiety, as well as the mediating role of coronavirus fear and moderating role of mental well-being.The sample comprised 189 healthcare workers (M = 33.06 ± 6.92), who were treating patients with COVID-19 in a pandemic hospital in Turkey. Ninety-one participants were males and 98 females. Participants completed measures of perceived coronavirus risk, coronavirus fear, mental well-being and parental coronavirus anxiety.Parental Coronavirus Anxiety Scale had a one-factor structure, with satisfactory reliability. Main findings showed that coronavirus fear mediated the relationship between coronavirus risk and parental coronavirus anxiety. Mental well-being moderated the effect of coronavirus risk on parental coronavirus anxiety. The mediation effect of coronavirus fear was moderated by mental well-being.These findings explain why and when mental well-being-based interventions could be effective in reducing perceived coronavirus risk, fear and parental coronavirus anxiety about their children.