The Fear of COVID-19 and Flourishing: Assessing the Mediating Role of Sense of Control in International Students

The present study investigates the mediating role of sense of control in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and flourishing. A cross-sectional study design was employed and a total of 368 international students studying in Turkey consented to voluntarily take part in the study. The participants who were identified using convenience sampling completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Flourishing Scale, and Sense of Control Scale after providing written informed consent. Results indicated that sense of control was positively correlated with fear of COVID-19 and flourishing. It was also observed that a negative correlation was found between the fear of COVID-19 and flourishing. Mediation analysis revealed that sense of control partially mediates the association between fear of COVID-19 and flourishing. The study encourages mental health professionals to consider the role of sense of control in their psychological interventions to reduce fear of COVID-19 and enhance flourishing among international students.