Investigating the causal model of the meaning in life and sense of coherence with Covid-19 anxiety: the mediating role of hope

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has greatly affected human lives across the world. This study aimed to the mediating role of hope in relationship between the meaning in life and the sense of coherence with Covid-19 anxiety. The research method was correlation of the type path analysis. The population of this study included all undergraduate students of Poldakhtar Higher Education Center in the academic year 2020-2021. 210 students participated in this study by available sampling method and online questionnaire and answered the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS), Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (ASCQ), Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and Hope Scale (HS). Data analysis was performed by the statistical method of path analysis using SPSS-22 and AMOS-24 statistical software, then the Bootstrap test was used to investigate the mediating role of variables. The results showed that after removing two direct paths from the meaning in life (β= 0.41, P<0.01) and sense of coherence (β= 0.29, P<0.01) to Covid-19 anxiety, through hope (β= -0.32, P<0.01), the model of the meaning in life and sense of coherence to Covid-19 anxiety was confirmed. According to the results, students who have higher hopes experience less Covid-19 anxiety, and on the other hand, as the meaning in life and sense of coherence increases, so does hope, which results in a decrease in Covid-19 anxiety. Therefore, it is possible to increase hope and reduce the severity of Covid-19 anxiety in students by educating and promoting the meaning in life and a sense of coherence.