PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NORTH CYPRUS: A POPULATION-BASED NATIONWIDE STUDY

BACKGROUNDWhile the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was controlled much better in North Cyprus, the number of cases saw a rapid increase as of November 2020. Local authorities implemented further restrictions with a second lockdown across the country to bring the cases under control. The present study aims to identify the potential predictors of COVID-19 related obsessions of adults during the second lockdown.SUBJECTS AND METHODSThis is a descriptive survey conducted with 652 participants over the age of 18. The Obsession with COVID-19 Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and a Demographic Information Form were used to obtain information. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Spearman's Rho was calculated to examine existing relationships between COVID-19 anxiety and other research variables. A linear regression analysis was conducted to identify potential predictors of COVID-19 related obsessions.RESULTSParticipants infected with the COVID-19 virus had higher levels of anxiety and obsessions than those who weren't. The sample multiple correlation coefficient was .66, indicating that approximately 43% of the variance of the COVID-19 related obsessions was accounted for by the linear combination of strength measures. As expected, anxiety, positively and being infected with COVID-19 negatively predicted COVID-19 related obsessions.CONCLUSIONThe similarities and differences of the findings were compared with the results from the literature, yet the relationship between variables was identified to be higher when compared to similar studies.