Abstract

The coronavirus disease has exposed the population to psychosocial threats that could increase mental health problems. This research analyzed the relationships between emotional states (negative [-EWB] and positive [+EWB] experienced well-being), personal resources (resilient coping [RC]), dispositional resources (control beliefs about stress [BAS]), and social resources (social support [SS]), and anxiety and depressive symptoms in a sample of the Chilean population (n = 592), who answered an online questionnaire. Multiple and moderated multiple regression analyses were carried out. Depressive symptoms showed a positive relationship with -EWB (beta = 0.805; p 0.001) and negative relationship with +EWB (beta = -0.312; p 0.001), RC (beta = -0.089; p 0.01), BAS (beta = -0.183; p 0.001) and SS (beta = -0.082; p 0.001). Anxiety symptoms showed a positive relationship with -EWB (beta = 0.568; p 0.001), and a negative relationship with +EWB (beta = -0.101; p 0.03) and BAS (beta = -0.092; p 0.001). BAS moderated the relationship between experienced well-being and depression symptoms, and RC moderated the relationship between experienced well-being with both depression and anxiety symptoms. Findings confirm the buffering effect of personal and dispositional resources when facing a sanitary and social crisis. Moreover, they help to understand the role of internal psychological processes during a crisis and how to cope with life-threatening events.