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Journals / Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2

How does fear of COVID-19 differ from depression and generalized anxiety in the interplay of death anxiety and emotion regulation?

Ölüm kaygısı ve duygu düzenlemesi etkileşiminde COVİD-19 korkusu, depresyon ve yaygın kaygı bozukluğundan nasıl ayrışır?

Bilge Nur Özdemir(HACETTEPE UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, MEDICINE PR.)0000-0003-4325-9031
Talat Demirsöz(HACETTEPE UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, MEDICINE PR.)0000-0002-3786-1272
Pages
163–173
Publication Date
2025-08-25
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Clinical and educational implications are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental health of medical students.
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Key Findings & Data:Symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety intensified, and a new type of fear, the fear of COVID-19, emerged.
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Conclusion & Impact:Clinical and educational implications are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:COVİD-19 korkusu · ölüm kaygısı · depresyon

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental health of medical students. Symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety intensified, and a new type of fear, the fear of COVID-19, emerged. These changes are potentially induced by increased death anxiety, and variability in psychological outcomes are potentially explained by emotion regulation differences. Terror Management Theory and Gross’s Emotion Regulation Model informed this research, and the goal of the study is to examine whether emotion regulation mediates the effect of death anxiety on depression, generalized anxiety, and the fear of COVID-19. Data from 192 medical students were gathered through online surveys, which included sociodemographic questions, the Beck Depression Inventory, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale–Brief Form, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Death Anxiety Scale. Mediation analyses revealed that emotion regulation difficulties fully mediated the relationship between death anxiety and depression and between death anxiety and generalized anxiety. However, the mediation effect did not take place between death anxiety and COVID-19-related fear. The findings suggest that the COVID-19-related fear could be different from other psychological conditions. The study highlights the differential psychological impact of the pandemic and the vulnerability of medical students. Clinical and educational implications are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.

Özet

COVİD-19 pandemisi, tıp fakültesi öğrencilerinin ruh sağlığını önemli ölçüde etkilemiştir. Depresyon ve yaygın anksiyete belirtileri artmış, buna ek olarak yeni bir korku türü olan COVİD-19 korkusu ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu değişimlerin, artan ölüm kaygısından kaynaklanabileceği ve psikolojik sonuçlardaki bireysel farklılıkların duygu düzenleme biçimleriyle açıklanabileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu çalışmanın kuramsal çerçevesini Terör Yönetimi Kuramı ve Gross’un Duygu Düzenleme Modeli oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın amacı, ölüm kaygısının depresyon, yaygın anksiyete ve COVİD-19 korkusu üzerindeki etkisinde duygu düzenleme güçlüklerinin aracı bir rol oynayıp oynamadığını incelemektir. Çalışma kapsamında, 192 tıp öğrencisinden çevrim içi anketlerle veri toplanmıştır. Anketler, sosyodemografik bilgilerin yanı sıra Beck Depresyon Ölçeği, Yaygın Anksiyete Bozukluğu-7, Kısa Duygu Düzenleme Güçlüğü Ölçeği, COVİD-19 Korkusu Ölçeği ve Ölüm Kaygısı Ölçeğini içermektedir. Aracılık analizleri, duygu düzenleme güçlüklerinin ölüm kaygısı ile depresyon ve yaygın anksiyete arasındaki ilişkide aracı rol oynuyor olduğuna işaret etmiştir. Ancak, ölüm kaygısı ile COVİD-19 korkusu arasındaki ilişkide aracılık etkisi bulunmamıştır. Bulgular, COVİD-19’a özgü korkunun diğer psikolojik durumlardan farklı bir yapıya sahip olabileceğini düşündürmektedir. Bu çalışma, pandeminin farklı psikolojik etkilerini ve tıp öğrencilerinin kırılganlıklarını ortaya koymaktadır. Klinik ve eğitim alanlarına yönelik çıkarımlar ilgili alanyazın ışığında tartışılmıştır.

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Cite This Article

Özdemir, B. N., Demirsöz, T. (2025). How does fear of COVID-19 differ from depression and generalized anxiety in the interplay of death anxiety and emotion regulation?. Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2, 163–173. https://doi.org/10.57127/kpd.26024438.1599031

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