COVID-19 Fear and Coping Strategies during the Pandemic: Insights from Greek health services units

The aim of this study was to assess the fear caused by the COVID-19 pandemic among health services users in Greece. The study involved 1260 participants from three health services units in the prefecture of Corinthia. The COVID-19 Fear Scale (FCV-19S) and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE) were used to assess fear levels. Results showed that females experienced a significantly higher fear of COVID-19 (15.9 compared to 15.4), while the age group of>60 years had the highest mean score (16.6). Individuals in retirement showed a greater fear of COVID-19 (16.8), while health sector employees had lower fear scores (15.1). Chronically ill patients had a higher fear of COVID-19 (16.5 as opposed to 15.5 of healthy persons), while people considering that the COVID-19 pandemic will be dealt with soon presented lower levels of fear compared to those not considering it or being uncertain. According to the Brief-COPE questionnaire, fear of COVID-19 total scores was positively correlated with two of the coping subscales; the emotion-focused and the avoidant-coping. The study's findings can contribute to the identification of fear and coping strategies for the development of targeted interventions and mental health support programs during this global crisis.