Emotion Regulation and Psychological Capital as Predictors of COVID-19 Anxiety: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a serious threat to the mental health of university students. Accordingly, this study aimed to simultaneously examine the roles of psychological capital and emotion regulation strategies in predicting COVID-19-related anxiety in this population. This descriptive-correlational study was conducted online among 309 university students in Tehran between March and July 2021. The questionnaire link was distributed to students through WhatsApp groups. Data were collected using the Coronavirus Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), and the short form of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, independent-samples t test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and multiple linear regression analysis. The prevalence of severe anxiety in the study sample was 60.8%. Among the demographic variables, only sex was not significantly associated with anxiety. Marital status was significantly associated with anxiety, although the effect size was small. Younger students (aged <30 years) and undergraduate students reported significantly higher levels of anxiety than older students and those enrolled in postgraduate programs, respectively. The multiple regression model explained 63.7% of the variance in COVID-19-related anxiety. Based on the standardized beta coefficients, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (β = 0.460) were the strongest positive predictor of anxiety, whereas self-efficacy (β = −0.284) was the strongest negative predictor. Hope (β = 0.163) also emerged as a positive predictor in the model. Resilience (β = −0.162) and optimism (β = −0.134) were significant negative predictors. Adaptive emotion regulation strategies (β = 0.032) were not statistically significant in the final model. The findings identified psychological capital, particularly self-efficacy, as a protective predictor of COVID-19-related anxiety, whereas maladaptive emotion regulation strategies emerged as the strongest positive predictor. Although the pandemic has ended, the high prevalence of anxiety among younger and undergraduate students during the peak of the crisis represents a concerning pattern. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions that prioritize reducing maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and strengthening self-efficacy to enhance preparedness for similar crises in the future.