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. 2021 Aug 2:12:560059.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.560059. eCollection 2021.

Impact of Perceived Severity of COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) on Mental Health of University Students of Pakistan: The Mediating Role of Muslim Religiosity

Muhammad Saleem  1 , Abou Bakar  2 , Areeha Khan Durrani  1 , Zubair Manzoor  1
Affiliations

Impact of Perceived Severity of COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) on Mental Health of University Students of Pakistan: The Mediating Role of Muslim Religiosity

Muhammad Saleem et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Perceived severity of COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) is known to be associated with mental health of people in general and health professionals in particular in Western societies. However, its association with the mental health of students in Pakistan, which is predominantly a Muslim society, remains unclear so far. Moreover, the role of Muslim religiosity for such an association has not yet been investigated. We aimed to examine the association and report findings on the impact of perceived severity on mental health with a sample of students from all five provinces of Pakistan. Methods: We did a cross-sectional online survey from 1,525 Pakistani students in March 2020 using standardized measurement tools. We then determined the prevalence of perceived severity among students and its impact on their mental health. The strength of associations between these variables was estimated using generalized linear models, with appropriate distribution and link functions. Structural equation modeling through SmartPLS (3.0) software was utilized to analyze the results. Findings: The perceived severity of COVID-19 is significantly associated with mental health of Pakistani students, whereas Muslim religiosity is a strong mediator between perceived severity and mental health of Pakistani students. Conclusions: Though the perceived severity of COVID-19 is associated with mental health, this relationship can be better explained by the role of Muslim religiosity. When tested individually, the perceived severity accounted for only 18% variance in mental health that increased up to 57% by the mediating role of Muslim religiosity. This difference clearly indicates the mediating role of Muslim religiosity in the association between perceived severity and mental health for Pakistani students.

Keywords: COVID-19; Pakistani students; mental health; muslim religiosity; perceived severity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Path coefficient model for direct effect of perceived severity of COVID-19 on mental health.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bootstrapping model for direct effect of perceived severity of COVID-19 on mental health.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Blindfolding value for relevance of direct effect model.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Path coefficient model for the mediating role of Muslim religiosity.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Bootstrapping model for the mediating role of Muslim religiosity.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Blindfolding value for the relevance of the mediating model.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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