Facing the unforeseen: coping, meaning in life, fear of death, and their associations across the COVID-19 pandemic and the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—a repeated cross-sectional study in independent Hungarian samples
- 1Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Behavioral Sciences
- 2Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Department of Personality- and Health Psychology
- 3Independent Researcher
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine represent unprecedented global stressors with substantial consequences for mental health.
Objective: A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted in three independent Hungarian samples before COVID-19 ( N = 249), after the second wave of COVID-19 ( N = 265), and during the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine ( N = 148) to examine differences in meaning in life, coping competencies, and fear of death, as well as in the relationships among these constructs. The outbreak of the invasion during data collection provided a unique opportunity to examine these constructs during its early phase.
Results: Compared with the post-COVID sample, lower descriptive levels of fear of death were observed following the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lower levels of several coping resources, particularly sense of coherence and social competencies, together with the greater relevance of search for meaning, were among the key findings associated with these unforeseen stressors. Stronger associations between coping and meaning in life were identified, while the association between presence of meaning and search for meaning became stronger following the outbreak of the invasion. Network analyses further suggested a closer integration of meaning-related processes with fear of death and coping resources, although these patterns should be interpreted cautiously given the limited stability of the network estimates.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that exposure to successive unforeseen large-scale stressors may be associated with the reorganization of meaning-related processes and coping resources. The patterns observed following the outbreak of the war may be interpreted within the framework of distal defense processes described by the terror management theory, although these mechanisms were not directly assessed in the present study. The results suggest that longer-term existential anxiety processes and their delayed psychological and social consequences should be considered when developing mental health interventions. These findings may contribute to the refinement of healthcare interventions across multiple levels and cultural contexts in preparation for current and future crises.
Related
- Independent Associations of Body Composition with Dance Training Experience, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior Among Polish Folk Dancers: A Cross-Sectional Study
- Differences in associations between coping styles and depressive symptoms across pandemic-related periods among university students with subthreshold depressive symptoms: a serial cross-sectional study.
- Independent and joint associations of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep with vitamin D status in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES study
- Independent and joint associations of reported household chemical product use and overweight/obesity with cardiovascular disease among older adults in China: a national cross-sectional study.
- Independent and Joint Associations of Socioeconomic Status and Dietary Quality with Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms Among Chinese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey
BibTeX
@article{szimon2026facing,
title = {{Facing the unforeseen: coping, meaning in life, fear of death, and their associations across the COVID-19 pandemic and the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—a repeated cross-sectional study in independent Hungarian samples}},
author = {Petra Szimon and Nandor Takacs and Agnes Zana},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1916005},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1916005/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Facing the unforeseen: coping, meaning in life, fear of death, and their associations across the COVID-19 pandemic and the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—a repeated cross-sectional study in independent Hungarian samples
AU - Petra Szimon
AU - Nandor Takacs
AU - Agnes Zana
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1916005
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1916005/full
AB - Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine represent unprecedented global stressors with substantial consequences for mental health. Objective: A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted in three independent Hungarian samples before COVID-19 ( N = 249), after the second wave of COVID-19 ( N = 265), and during the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine ( N = 148) to examine differences in meaning in life, coping competencies, and fear of death, as well as in the relationships among these constructs. The outbreak of the invasion during data collection provided a unique opportunity to examine these constructs during its early phase. Results: Compared with the post-COVID sample, lower descriptive levels of fear of death were observed following the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lower levels of several coping resources, particularly sense of coherence and social competencies, together with the greater relevance of search for meaning, were among the key findings associated with these unforeseen stressors. Stronger associations between coping and meaning in life were identified, while the association between presence of meaning and search for meaning became stronger following the outbreak of the invasion. Network analyses further suggested a closer integration of meaning-related processes with fear of death and coping resources, although these patterns should be interpreted cautiously given the limited stability of the network estimates. Conclusion: The findings suggest that exposure to successive unforeseen large-scale stressors may be associated with the reorganization of meaning-related processes and coping resources. The patterns observed following the outbreak of the war may be interpreted within the framework of distal defense processes described by the terror management theory, although these mechanisms were not directly assessed in the present study. The results suggest that longer-term existential anxiety processes and their delayed psychological and social consequences should be considered when developing mental health interventions. These findings may contribute to the refinement of healthcare interventions across multiple levels and cultural contexts in preparation for current and future crises.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -