Psychological Resilience, Hope, and Adaptability as Protective Factors in Times of Crisis: A Study in Greek and Cypriot Society During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Various studies have assessed resilience in relation to risk and protective factors during periods of crisis, and have shown that values such as hope and optimism are significantly related to peoples' level of quality of life in times of crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic has proven to be a great challenge as it is an unprecedented global health crisis. Our study aims to explore the effects of psychological resilience, hope, and adaptability when people experience real or perceived possible danger. The present study was quantitative, and it applied three different self-report questionnaires, namely the CD RISK to assess psychological resiliency (Connor & Davidson, 2003), the AHS (Adult-Hope-Scale) (Snyder, 1994) to assess hope, and a third questionnaire, the CAQ (Covid-19-Adaptation-Questionnaire), to explore perceived ability to adapt to changes in daily life due to the imposed quarantine as well as trust in state policies and the media during the peak of the pandemic in Greece and Cyprus. Demographic data such as age, gender, place of residence, and level of education were collected by using a Personal Information Form. We administered the instruments to 205 Greek and Cypriot men and women in age groups of 18 years or older. Our findings showed that high scores in hope could predict higher levels of psychological resilience and the ability to adapt in the face of adversity. We have also found a significant positive relationship between age and level of education with psychological resiliency. Older participants and participants with higher levels of education showed higher levels of psychological resiliency and adaptation in comparison with the younger and less educated subjects. At the same time, findings indicated that although people adapted and complied with extreme social isolation measures, neither did they actually trust the relevant state policies, nor did they rely on mass media for information regarding the pandemic.