Fear of COVID-19 and Career Distress: Mediating Role of Visions About the Future

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of people's lives including health, economy, and social life. Another area of life that is thought to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic but has not yet been adequately studied is the career of individuals. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of visions about the future (hope, optimism, pessimism) in the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and career distress. The participants of the research consist of 331 individuals. Participants' ages range from 18-29 (21.43, SD = 1.86). As a result of the correlation analysis, visions about the future were negatively correlated with the fear of COVID-19 and career distress. On the other hand, the fear of COVID-19 was positively correlated with career distress. The result of the analysis for the research model indicated that there was a full mediating role of visions about the future in the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and career distress. The findings were discussed in the light of the literature.

Özet

The COVID-19 pandemic has effected many aspects of people's lives including health, economy, and social life. Another area of life that is thought to be effected by the COVID-19 pandemic but has not yet been adequately studied is the career of individuals. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of visions about the future (hope, optimism, pessimism) in the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and career distress. The participants of the research consist of 331 individuals. Participants' ages range from 18-29 (21.43, SD = 1.86). The data collected within the scope of the purpose of the research were analyzed with the structural equation modeling method. According to the results obtained from the analysis, it was found that the fear of COVID-19 negatively effects visions about the future. However, visions about the future mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and career distress. Visions about the future have been shown to have a fully mediating role in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and career distress. The findings were discussed in light of the literature.